


Abominations

by Orchidvervain



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Abusive Relationship, Angst, Chubby Aziraphale, Comforting Crowley, Crowley has long hair, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mama!Crowley, Mpreg, OC (Original Character) - Freeform, OC children - Freeform, Pregnancy, Pregnant!Aziraphale, Protective Crowley (Good Omens), Soft Aziraphale, mentions of assault, soft Crowley, they’re both beautiful beings!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:42:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22727824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orchidvervain/pseuds/Orchidvervain
Summary: After almost a decade of hiding, Crowley has settled into a daily routine and is content with his new life. Then during one market day, an angel emerges and he fears, ‘have they come back for me!?’
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley
Comments: 32
Kudos: 145





	1. This is new

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, I made this! Be nice to it, it’s rather fresh.

The sun shined down upon the dirty city as the demon Crowley strolled into town for his monthly visit. It was market day. A rather important day for poor people and wealthy people alike. The former serpent of Eden could already see the big crowd of people with their skin pressed together from the lack of space as they tried to buy as much food as they could to survive the month.

As Crowley entered the market, the crowd automatically dispatched to either side to make room for him. They all glanced at the demon as he casually passed through with both hands behind his back, his head held up high with a smug smile on his face. He always loved showing off his wealth and beauty to the people. He enjoyed all the looks he was getting, noticing the ones who glared, the ones who looked in awe, and especially the ones who looked in longing. For those people, he always gave them a wink but nothing more.

He tossed his long hair along his left shoulder; a long, luscious red mane that flowed in waves, ending around his waist. His amber serpentine eyes glowed as he looked around the city, his silky robes dragging softly against the dirty ground. The dust didn’t seem to stick to the bottom of his robes, thanks to a minor miracle of his. It was the same type of miracle that he used on the crowd to get them to move.

It was another normal day for Crowley. Going out into the city to buy more than enough food that’ll last the next five markets while also showing off to the people to spark a bit of mischief. An old habit of his he no longer had to do but still did it for fun. He has been living in this small town for more than a decade but he was happy there, relaxed and content with his new daily routine. But today was when it all changed…

While Crowley was buying a couple of baguettes from a small bakery, he felt a tingle down his spine and his muscles tense up. It had been more than a decade but he recognized that feeling. Something was here. And he’d never thought it’s kind would ever return to earth unless it was important. It was an angel.

His breathing became shallow and his chest tightened. How could an angel possibly be here?! Hadn’t they given up on him long ago? And if they really were back for him, then why now?! This wasn’t good. If the angels were here, then they’d be—

No! He won’t let that happen!

He took a deep breath and began walking in the direction where the angel’s presence was strongest. But when he looked around the corner, it wasn’t there. Strange, the presence is very strong where he was. He kept going.

When he finally found the angel, he made sure to be as incoherent as possible. He viewed the angel from afar, a knife at-the-ready.

There was the angel, standing near one of the stores and…talking to the owner? Crowley faltered. Another thing that caught him off-guard was the angel’s appearance. He was a bit smaller than the ones the demon was used to seeing. He had a round face with white fluffy hair. And rather than being buff or lean, his body was rather plump from what he could see through the loose white gowns that the angel was wearing, especially around the middle. 

Both of the angel’s hands were clasped around his rotund belly as he talked to the human with a bright smile on his face. His eyes crinkled at the edges as he laughed at something that the clerk had said before gladly taking the bread and paying.

This was…new. The demon was amazed by this. He sharply shook his head. Cut it out, he thought. Appearances can be deceiving. The angel could easily be trying to trick him to let his guard down. 

Then as the angel was turning around, he spotted a poor little girl curled up in a ball next to a closed store. The angel moved towards the young human and knelt down, one hand gently holding his belly as he touched the girl’s arm. Her head snapped up and her eyes were wide with fear as tears continued to roll down her face.

Crowley watched, intrigued as the angel brushed a tear from the girl’s cheeks and talked to her in a low and gentle voice. Crowley couldn’t make out what he was saying his voice was so soft. Then the angel held his bread up and tore off one fourth of the baguette and held it out to her. The girl’s eyes were filled with longing but she hesitated. She looked into the angel’s eyes as if asking for permission. He nodded for her to take it. Then…the girl smiled. She accepted the bread and started eating. The angel gently rubbed her arm and smiled, saying one last thing before standing back up and walking away.

Crowley gawked at what he just witnessed. He looked at the girl who continued to happily eat her bread before glancing back at the angel. This was completely different from everything he had experienced in the past when it came to angels. He didn’t even notice the demon was even there. And the presence he was feeling, the angel’s aura…was so damn powerful! There was definitely something about that angel that was different from other angels. But it was still unsafe for him to be in the market any longer. If one angel was here, more could possibly follow. Fortunately, half of the food he bought was enough to last the month, anyway.

He got rid of the dagger and began at a sprint back to his home. Better safe than sorry.


	2. Exposed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley returns to the streets to search for the angel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! Sorry for the wait!

Once the sun’s light faded away and was replaced by glimmering stars and the shining moon, Crowley returned to the streets. The market at that point had completely sold out and was now closed. It’d be gone in the morning.

Crowley walked around, cautiously eyeing the people still out and about. A bunch of homeless citizens, for the most part. The demon even spotted the girl that was given bread to by the angel earlier that day. She was sleeping peacefully on the pavement, probably dreaming of food and a loving family.

Crowley felt his human heart ache a little at the sight of her. But there was only so much he could do for his own issues. So he silently prayed the girl would find good fortune in her future then left.

He continued walking around, trying to sense the angel’s aura. It was so powerful before so he should’ve been able to find him again. It was when he turned a corner that the same tingly feeling in his spine from before had returned. The angel was still here. And very close by.

In silent haste, the demon hid behind a tall column while still being able to see the entire clearing between the rocky buildings. There was the tiniest sound of footsteps and a bit of white light before he finally appeared in Crowley’s vision. Yup, same one from earlier that day, as predicted. Walking wistfully through the streets, all in white, plump, and glowing with both hands clasped around his stomach.

The demon watched carefully as the angel looked around before making a turn down a dark alleyway. Crowley waited a few seconds before he started to quietly tip-toe across the street to the edge of the alleyway. He stopped and was able to catch a glimpse of the tail of the angel’s gown going to the right. Where was he going? Was it a diversion to trick him? Or did the angel actually have a task assigned to him from Heaven?

Whatever it was, it could wait. For now, he had to make sure the angel didn’t leave his sight. Bulky or not, this angel was dangerous. Crowley sprinted silently down the alleyway and halted near the corner. He cautiously peeked around it to see the angel across another street but with someone else this time.

The angel was looking down upon a young woman holding a small baby. She was crying and quietly pleading to the angel to help her. 

The angel stood motionless. Crowley couldn’t see his face but when he glanced to his left the demon thought he looked heartbroken. The angel then quickly faced the other way before facing the woman again. He slowly knelt down in front of her. 

Crowley watched as the angel gently rested one hand on the baby’s head. Then there came this quick but invisible wave of light and love, hitting him sharply across the chest. The demon silently grunted, holding onto the wall for support. He hasn’t felt powerful miracles like that in so long but he never forgot how much they hurt. He looked back up to see the woman smiling down at her baby and cooing at it. The little guy must’ve been dying, Crowley thought. It takes a lot to cheat Death like that.

Then the angel helped the woman up and whispered one last thing to her before letting her go. The woman nodded and thanked him before she ran down a dark alleyway and disappeared.

The demon, still recovering from that miracle, felt at a loss. There was definitely a lump in his throat and his heart was aching more than ever. But he knew why. It had been so long since he’s seen an angel do an actual good deed. The ones he remembered were so cold and hostile. Have they changed since those times? Even if they haven’t changed, there was no point in attacking this one.

Crowley sighed, grinning to himself. He started making his way home to—

AHHHH!!! GET AWAY FROM ME!”

Crowley instantly snapped his head back around. From the corner of his eye he saw the angel running as fast as he could. The spot that he had been standing in before was now replaced by three men. One of them was holding a chunk of torn white fabric. They must have been muggers.

“Don’t let him get away,” one of them growled and they all started at a sprint.

Without thinking, Crowley sprinted out of the alleyway and into the street, keeping a good distance from the muggers so they wouldn’t attack him instead. They must’ve thought the angel had gold or food on him or they were just doing it for fun because, boy, could they run fast.

The muggers stopped and took a sharp turn into another alleyway. Crowley continued running, his breaths coming in sharp. He heard the angel’s cries then a loud thud added with a small crack, causing them to halt abruptly. Crowley gasped but kept going, his legs trying to make bigger streaks this time.

He stopped in front of the alleyway, his eyes glowing and his chest heaving.

The angel was no longer on his feet and his back was against the wall. There was a fatal wound on his head that was spilling blood all over his white gown, staining it red. Meanwhile the three men drew in closer, their smiles similar to those of predators when they have trapped their prey.

Crowley was trembling and infuriated. He knew muggers were bad but killing this angel was crossing a line. 

As his fury grew, the demon could feel his body contort and shape into a form he hadn’t been in in so long. A part of him knew how dangerous this was for him to do this but he just couldn’t do nothing. A low hiss came from his mouth and continued to get louder.

The men halted at the sound and turned to see a giant black and red serpent with glowing amber eyes looking down upon them. Their eyes were wide with fear. And when the snake let out a hissing high-pitched roar, they all ran away screaming of the devil.

The angel’s vision grew blurry, only seeing a black outline with orange eyes. He trembled and whimpered as the pain in his head grew worse.

Then the figure drew closer and his form became more clear. It knelt down in front of him. The angel shrunk back, his hands automatically covering to his stomach

The angel silently sobbed. “P-Please…..I-I’m w-with child…”

Then he blacked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so annoyed because i would’ve posted this chapter sooner but the first time i typed this it didn’t save and it took me so long to get the motivation to rewrite it.


	3. An actual angel?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley comes home with a little surprise for his kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, writing isn’t my strong suit and it’s hard to find motivation for it. But i do my best.

Crowley slams the door to his house open with his foot, his arms occupied with the angel’s unconscious body. The demon’s heart was pounding and his legs and arms were sore and stiff from sprinting all the way back home.  
“Orchid! Vervain! Get down here I need your help!” Crowley called into the open room, his voice hoarse from running.  
Instantly, two thin figures peeked out from the corridor on the second floor, their white oval-shaped eyes giving off a dim glow. They gawked at the site of Crowley and started at a run down the stairs as soon as they saw (and sensed) what he was holding.  
“Mother?! What happened?!” Orchid, downstairs first, said worriedly. Her long slim gown billowed around her legs as she ran up to him. Vervain was right behind her, staring at the angel with comprehension. There was something about the aura…  
Vervain gasped. “Mother, is this—?”  
“An angel? Yes! I’ll explain later,” Crowley replied hastily, the angel feeling heavier by the second. “Help me get him to the master bedroom.”  
The two nodded and, with zero dawdling, helped support the angel’s body by the head and the legs and began to slowly walk along with their mother upstairs. The red blood was already staining Orchid’s skin and gown dark red but she continued holding up the angel’s head and chest. Vervain gently carried the angel’s legs, keeping his head down.  
“An actual angel, mother?” Orchid asked.  
“Yeah,” Crowley smiled down at his daughter. “A real angel with a baby on the way.”  
Orchid’s jaw dropped and Vervain looked up and faltered on his feet but otherwise kept moving.  
Crowley chuckled. “I’ll talk about it later.”  
Once they made it to the bedroom, they delicately laid the angel down on the bed, making sure his head was in a comfortable position. Crowley investigated the head wound again. It was still bleeding. But the angel was still breathing, thank goodness.  
“Right,”Crowley muttered. He turned to face his children who were patiently waiting by the door. Orchid’s arms were crossed and caked with blood. Vervain’s hands fiddled with his shirt out of habit but Crowley could tell he was still very confused and scared.  
“Okay, you two,” Crowley said firmly. “This angel is injured and pregnant and is going to bleed out if we don’t act now. Go get some towels and a bucket of water then return here as quickly as you can, you hear me?”  
“Yes mother,” they both said automatically and then sprinted back downstairs.  
Once they were out the door, Crowley turned back towards the angel, sitting gently on the bedside. Blood was still oozing out of the angel’s head, his face growing ever more paler.  
Crowley sighed. “You just had to stick around at night, didn’t you?”  
He didn’t wait for a reply.  
With care, the demon rolled up the angel’s white gown to expose his round belly. Crowley could feel firmness around the middle of his stomach. Probably wasn’t that far along yet but definitely past the first trimester.  
Crowley gently placed his long slender hands on the side of the angel’s belly. He closed his eyes, moving his hands around, poking and prodding a bit to examine the position of the baby.  
“Come on, little guy, where are you?”  
The sound of footsteps could be heard again as the twins returned. They were about to say they successfully obtained the equipment when they noticed that the angel’s bottom half was now exposed. Vervain blushed intensely and averted his eyes to let the poor thing have some dignity. Orchid continued to stare but her face was flushed at the sight of a half naked body. She watched her mother continuing to inspect the angel’s stomach.  
“M-Mother, what are you—?”  
Crowley shushed her sharply, his hands still moving around. “M’ trying to find the baby but don’t worry about that right now. Just worry about his head wound, he’s losing blood by the second.”  
Orchid nodded and tugged her brother with her to the other side of the bed. Orchid set the pile of towels down. She snatched one from the top and dunked it into the bucket of water vervain was holding. Meanwhile, Vervain, his face still flushed, kept his head down while still making quick curious glances at his mother.  
Orchid quickly pulled the towel from the bucket and placed it onto the angel’s head where the wound still bled. As she pressed down on the wound, more blood soaked her arms and a few drops splotched the front of her already-stained nightgown.  
“Make sure not to press down too much, Orchid,” Crowley added, his eyes still closed.  
Then he felt it. It was a quick thump-thump but Crowley gasped, knowing it was the heartbeat. He kept quiet, his hands pressed below the angel’s navel.  
Thump-thump…thump-thump…thump-thump…  
Crowley smiled warmly. “There you are…”  
“Mom, is the baby okay?” Orchid asked while dunking the towel back into the bucket.  
Crowley opened his eyes, his smile unwavered. “Yes, love. I can feel the strong heartbeat of a healthy growing baby.”  
Orchid smiled and pressed the towel back on the angel’s head. Thankfully, the bleeding was starting to slow down.  
Then a soft moan came out of the angel’s mouth. Vervain and Crowley quickly turned their heads while Orchid sat perfectly still, watching the angel’s face for signs of stirring.  
Then his eyes fluttered open. He groaned, shifting his head, causing a bit of blood to ooze out from the wound again.  
“W-What happened,” the angel’s voice was barely above a whisper.  
Crowley unrolled the angel’s white toga over his lower half again and scooted on the bed, closer towards the angel’s face in a matter of seconds. The demon gently brushed the angel’s arm, his voice going soft.  
“Sshh, you’re gonna be alright,” Crowley whispered. “Your baby’s alive and healthy. Your wound is healing nicely. For now, just ressssst.”  
Crowley gave a nod to continue pressing down on the wound and she obliged. But that was the first time in awhile that Orchid had heard mom hiss before. But she kept quiet as the demon softly soothed the angel.  
The angel seemed to be close to dozing off when he glanced at Crowley with a tired but suspicious expression. He furrowed his eyebrows. “You’re a demon…”  
“Yeah, but not your typical demon,” Crowley replied jokingly. “If I were like other demons, you’d be dead by now.”  
The angel took this to what little thought he had, knowing the demon was right. But he was too tired to fight with any confusion in his mind and he wanted sleep.  
His vision became blurry before the demon’s voice gently came through again. “Before you drift off, what’s your name?”  
Why not, the angel thought. Like the demon said, he should’ve been dead by now if he were in true danger.  
“Aziraphale,” he mumbled. Then he was taken away by the comforts of sleep.  
Crowley chuckled, carefully tucking Aziraphale under the covers.  
Once Orchid had successfully stopped the blood, Crowley snapped his fingers. All the dried blood from the angel’s body and from Orchid’s hands, arms, and dress was cleaned off and there was a fresh bandage wrapped around the angel’s head.  
Crowley sighed and stretched his arms over his head, fatigue settling in. “Alright, you two let’s go. Let’s let him rest.”  
The twins followed, Vervain closing the door behind him. The twins walked up to either side of their mom.  
Crowley wrapped them both in a side hug as he dragged them downstairs. “Now, I know both of you definitely have questions. But those are going to have to wait until tomorrow.”  
They both groaned but Crowley held up his hand and their protests instantly stopped.  
“I promise you I’ll answer them all next morning when we wake up.”  
“But why aren’t you taking us to our rooms?” Vervain spoke up.  
“Well, becausssse,” Crowley pondered, not wanting to come off sappy. “Since I’ll be attending to the angel before he goes, whenever that will be, I’ll definitely need the both of you to help me out. So all of us will sleep together downstairs to make it easier for me to wake you guys. Plain and simple.”  
Orchid and Vervain shared a knowing glance, grinning.  
“Or are you just feeling motherly because the pregnant angel reminds you of us?” Orchid said teasingly, poking Crowley in the stomach.  
Their mom flinched. “Oi!”  
The twins broke out in laughter, earning a crooked smile from Crowley, making him laugh too. He gave both their arms a squeeze as well as a light kiss on the forehead. What Orchid said was true—feeling that strong tiny heartbeat did remind him of how much he loved his two little miracles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meet my OCs. If i were to make another story for them, you’ll definitely see them again because i just love them too much.


	4. Proper greetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aziraphale wakes up to his new surroundings and properly meets with the person who saved his life the night before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I’m back! I’m a slow writer with an unpredictable posting schedule because my mind is a mess. Enjoy this chapter which is mostly fluff.

“….It’s alright… you’re safe…”

“…your baby’s fine and healthy….rest now…”

“…Aziraphale…”

Aziraphale woke up. He blinked a few times to clear his eyesight. He was in a room; the pale brown walls were bright from the morning sun as the rays pooled in from a big wide window from the corner of his eye.

“uuurgh…” Aziraphale slowly sat up, one hand on his belly as he tried to get himself into a comfortable sitting position for his back. He rubbed his eyes and looked around.

The room he was in was rather fancy but quaint, in a way. The walls were decorated with tapestries, depicting humans in their ordinary lives. There were a few small wooden tables with vases filled with Orchids as well as many other fancy flowers that the angel didn’t recognize. The room altogether gave off a relaxing and homely aura.

The bed Aziraphale was currently resting on was no different. The colors of the sheets, lovely pastel browns and oranges with swirly yellow patterns on top, blended very well with the room. The angel brushed his hands over the blankets. They were soft and pillowy; perfect for anyone in need of a good night’s sleep. 

What a nice place it was, Aziraphale thought. But whose room did it belong to? Aziraphale tried to remember.

“…You’re a demon…”

“…Yeah, but not just any old demon…If I were like the rest you’d be dead by now…”

Aziraphale gasped. He remembered now. That smooth slithery voice, those golden amber eyes, The wavy red hair…

Knock-knock

The angel yelped. “U-uh, come in?!”

The door opened and Aziraphale was immediately met with those two golden eyes again. The demon pushed the door open with his back, revealing a big metal tray he was carrying.

“Hi,” The demon said nicely. “Sorry to bother you, just came to give you your breakfast.”

“O-Oh,” Aziraphale relaxed. “Thank you.”

The demon grinned, walking over with the tray out in front of him, his long red hair flowing around his waist. Aziraphale’s belly grumbled loudly from the smell of delicious food coming from the tray.

The demon chuckled, setting the tray down on the bedside table near the angel. “Looks like I came in just in time, then. Here, enjoy.”

The demon lifted the top of the tray off to reveal: a small tin of biscuits, a few slices of buttered bread, soup, and some warm steaming tea.

“Thank you,” Aziraphale repeats quietly, amazed by the demon’s kindness. His mouth was watering at the sight of all the food. Slowly he lifted one slice of buttered bread towards his face and gently bit down. Once the warm buttery flavor of the bread hit his tongue, he gave a quiet moan and took 3 more bites, gobbling up the entire slice. He gave a content sigh and he relaxed against the bed, savoring the moment. Then his hand went over to the tray and he picked up another slice.

The demon sat across from the angel, hiding a smile behind his knuckles. He watched as the pretty angel happily ate his breakfast.

“Feelin’ better, are you?” The demon asked softly.

Aziraphale looked at the demon. “Oh, most definitely! Thank you for saving me and the little one last night.”

Once the angel said ‘little one’ his free hand that wasn’t holding food automatically rested on his pregnant belly. It had become a habit that Aziraphale really didn’t mind.

“What’s your name, by the way, my dear?” The angel asked.

The demon blushed a bit at ‘my dear’ but he responded quickly enough. “Oh! Crowley. And you’re lucky I was there. It gets rather dangerous at night. Smugglers come out for blood.”

Crowley notices Aziraphale’s hand tenses up around his stomach protectively. “Is that who those ruffians were?”

“The people who attacked you? Yeah, rather nasty ones, too.”

“Are there any other kind?” Aziraphale asked jokingly.

Crowley laughed. “No, I guess not.”

The angel chuckled, his hand relaxing again. “But thank you…really.”

“Hey, it’s no problem,” Crowley said. “Speaking of the attack, how’s your head?”

“Oh!” The angel had completely forgotten about the bandages. “Much better. I don’t feel any pain at all, actually.”

“That must mean the wound’s fully healed then. Here, lemme get those off for you,” Crowley stood up and leaned close and started to carefully unwrap the bandages. In the meantime, he tried not to blush at how intimate him and the angel were at the moment. Aziraphale was also doing the same thing as he felt the slight pressure on his head from the bandages fade away.

Crowley leaned back, peering at the angel’s forehead. “Yeah, the wound’s completely healed.”

“That’s good,” Aziraphale smiled, relieved. He returned his focus to the remaining food and plucked out a small biscuit from it’s little tin. Then, after a small muse entered his mind that he couldn’t refuse, he dipped it into the soup entirely and popped it into his mouth. He moaned and repeated the action with another biscuit. “Oh, this is absolutely scrumptious!”

Crowley smiled but said nothing about the food. Crowley had had even weirder cravings than that and he really didn’t judge. “Glad you like it. I knew you’d be hungry, what with your condition and all.”

“Yes,” Aziraphale blushed slightly. “I get rather peckish after awhile.”

“How far along are you, by the way?” Crowley asked curiously.

“Oh, I’d say about…” Aziraphale dipped another biscuit into the soup as he did the calculations in his head. He had popped the biscuit into his mouth when he finally answered. “Sixteen weeks.”

Crowley propped one elbow onto his knee and rested his head in his hand. “Have you felt it move yet?”

“A tiny bit,” the angel pondered, gently rubbing his belly. “It’s rare at the moment and it hasn’t started kicking yet.”

Crowley smiled warmly. “Must be exciting, though, isn’t it?”

“Oh, yes! I can’t wait to meet it. It’s just…” Aziraphale paused and that bright little gleam in his eye seemed to vanish. He looked down and shut his eyes tightly. He shook his head and sighed. “N-never mind.”

Crowley watched the angel with concern. It’s just…what? Was something holding him back? Was some one holding him back? Crowley almost asked about it but stopped himself. Now was probably not a good time.

“Alright,” Crowley said. He stood up. “Well, since you’re all healed up you should be able to return to Heaven in no ti—

“NO!” The angel had snapped his head up and his voice had come out more sharply, both hands wrapped tightly around his middle.

Crowley looked at him worriedly. Aziraphale’s breathing seemed to have grown heavy and his eyes were filled with….fear.

“What’s wro—“

“I-It’s just that,” Aziraphale interrupts quickly. “I uh don’t think m-my corporation is strong enough…yet to travel back upstairs and well…I don’t want to hurt the baby and um—“

“Hey, I know,” Crowley reassured him. “I get it, you want to be careful. And that’s fine. We can wait.”

Aziraphale relaxed and sighed, relieved. “Oh, thank you…for understanding, that is.”

Crowley nodded. “So we’ll give you a few more days, that alright?”

“Yes, that’d be perfect!”Aziraphale nodded excitedly. “I should be in tip-top shape by then!”

Crowley chuckled but suddenly paused. He turned towards the doorway and saw two pairs of hands and white slitted pupils watching him.

Crowley gasped. “Oi! You two should be in the kitchen!!!”

The twins gasped and disappeared behind the door. Crowley ran towards the doorway and saw the twins sprinting down the stairs, both of them giggling along the way with mischievous smiles on their faces.

“Little buggers,” Crowley murmured. He returned to the bedside. Aziraphale, who had watched the entire scene go down, giggled sweetly. “Who was that?”

“Oh,” Crowley scratched the back of his head. “Those were my children. They’re twins. Unfortunately you’ll have to deal with them during your stay, the little brats.”

Aziraphale chuckled. “They sound lovely. I can’t wait to meet them in person once I start walking about.”

Crowley’s smile fades and is replaced with a concerned frown. “Yeah. But there’s one thing you should know about them before you properly meet them.”

“Really?”Aziraphale said. “What is it?”

“Um..”Crowley wringed his hands, avoiding Aziraphale’s eyes. “The thing is…their physical appearances are rather…let’s just say they look different from any celestial beings you’ve seen before.”

“how do they look different?” The angel asked.

“Once you get a good look at them you’ll know what I mean,” Crowley answered. “I’ll explain it better afterwards. Just..don’t say anything about them when you return to heaven.”

“Of course I wouldn’t,” Aziraphale said. “Besides, if the angels knew I was saved by a demon, of all things, then they’d really lose their heads.”

“Right…” Crowley mumbled, looking down.

“But don’t worry,” Aziraphale leaned towards him, resting the demon’s slender hand in his own plump one. “I won’t say anything about you or the children. I promise.”

“Okay,” Crowley squeezed the angels hand before letting go. He looked back up at him with his golden eyes and gave a small grin. “Thank you for understanding.”

“My pleasure, dear,” the angel replied softly.

“ngk, yeah,” Crowley turns his head and tucks a stray strand behind his ear to hide the blush that crept into his cheeks. He stood up and turned his head when his face was no longer warm. “Anyway, I’ll let you rest a bit more. And whenever you’re strong enough to leave the bed, we’ll be downstairs.”

“Okay,” Aziraphale smiles at the demon once more before he leaves, shutting the door behind him. The angel sighed and looked down at his growing pregnant belly. Only five months left until the baby was born. And only less than a week until he had to return to Heaven…..

Aziraphale shook his head. He didn’t want to think about that right now. He gently rubbed his belly. “Well, little one, we got lucky…”

He glanced at the bedside table where the remaining food was. But behind the tray was a small pile of books. Intrigued, he leaned over and picked one up. He’s always been curious about the books here on earth.

“How about a little bit of reading to pass the time?” The angel patted his belly and opened the book to the first page. He was thankful to find the writing in the language he knew most. He started reading. 

“The angel’s really going to stay with us, mom?” Orchid asked excitedly, hopping up and down.

“Yes yes he will,” Crowley said, trying to sound irritated with his daughter. “Stop jumping, it’s only for a few days! Besides, he’s using those days to help his recovery before he leaves for good.”

Vervain was watching his mother and sister from the sofa quietly until that point. He spoke up, “Mom?”

“Yeah, love?” Crowley faced him.

“Will we actually get to meet him?” Vervain asked shyly.Orchid’s excitement was replaced with comprehension by that question and also looked to Crowley for an answer.

Crowley looked at both of them and sighed. “Yeah, you will.”

The twins smiled but they stayed quiet when their mother still had that grim expression on his face. He said, “Just be gentle with him and don’t leave my side when you go outside, okay?”

The twins nodded and Orchid slowly walked up to Crowley and hugged him by the waist. Crowley wrapped his arms around her tightly. Tighter than he’s hugged her in awhile; it was like he didn’t want to let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added the extra scene with the twins last minute because i love their interactions with Crowley, especially when they cuddle.


	5. They’re beautiful!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aziraphale meets the children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the lovely comments on my previous chapter. It really gives me confidence in my writing so i really appreciate it.
> 
> Sorry this one’s not as eventful. But the next chapter will go into a bit more so look out for that one. I also made this one short because it’ll give y’all something while i make the next chapter.

It was around the middle of the afternoon when Aziraphale finally left the bedroom. He had taken the time to let his mind wake up. It had been so long since he’d gotten a good night’s rest. It was also tough trying to stand up. First, it was because he found his body still wasn’t used to the pregnancy. Second, his legs wobbled like jelly, making it hard to find his balance. And third, his head was attacked with a dizzy spell. Fortunately, his hand found the bedside before he could fall over.

He took many deep breaths. The previous night must’ve taken so much out of him. Not only the head injury, but also the miracles he had used on all the helpless humans he had encountered with. And It was much tougher to use his powers now that most of it was looking after his soon-to-be child.

Eventually, the shaking in his legs stopped and the dizziness in his head had faded away. The angel straightened his back, giving it a good stretch as well. 

Then he exited the room and entered into a long hallway. The walls were the same color as the room and decorated with majestic paintings. One way was a dead end. The other way lead to a staircase that travelled down to the first floor.

Aziraphale headed towards the stairs, gazing at the paintings as he went with one hand resting on his belly. The paintings were all black and white and were mainly plants or two small children with peculiar eyes. The angel chose not to question them and continued downstairs.

He made it to the first floor and instantly smelled cooked food coming from the room to his right. He followed the delicious aroma into a sort of lounge where all the furniture looked soft and cushy. He went through another doorway where he finally found the kitchen.

Crowley was bustling about the room with random ingredients in his hands. His red hair was wrapped up in a braided bun with one strand loose. He wore a long apron over a white sleeveless shirt and shorts. It wasn’t until Aziraphale walked a few more steps into the room when Crowley noticed him.

The demon smiled at him. “Hey!”

He straightened up, wiping his hands on his apron. “I see you’re walking about.”

“Yes,” Aziraphale blushed, patting his belly. “It took me a bit, actually.”

“Ah,” Crowley looked down at the angel’s stomach, nodding sympathetically. “Yeah, pregnancy can do that to you.”

“It seems my body was still recovering from last night,” The angel added. “And I see you’re rather busy at the moment.”

“Oh?” Crowley looked at his kitchen. “Yeah, I’m cooking up dinner. Since there’s four of us now (well, technically five, if you count the little one) I had to make a bit more so everyone has a good portion.”

“That’s very kind of you,” The angel said.

“Heh, thanks. Well, anyway,” Crowley turned back around and clapped his hands together. “So! Are you ready to meet the little rascals?”

Aziraphale chuckled. “Sure am!”

“Good,” The demon said. He turned to a different doorway (How big was this place?) and held his hands up to his mouth and called out, “Right, you two! Show yourselves!”

There was silence. Aziraphale waited patiently, anxious to see these ‘different’ celestial offspring. 30 seconds went by and no one appeared.

“I think the poor dears are shy,” The angel whispered to Crowley.

“Yeah,”Crowley sighed, looking down. “It’s because this is the first time they’ve ever met an angel before.”

Aziraphale gasped quietly. He realized the twins might be afraid of him. “Oh…”

“Don’t worry, it’s not your fault they’re scared,” Crowley reassured the angel as if reading his mind. Then he called to the kids again; but softly this time. “Come on out darlings…The angel’s not gonna hurt you.”

They waited a few more seconds. This time there came the sound of footsteps. Aziraphale’s excitement grew. He tightened his fists to restrain himself.

The children entered and quietly stood before the angel and demon. Aziraphale’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “Oh my….”

“Aziraphale….”Crowley murmured. “Meet Orchid and Vervain.”

Aziraphale’s eyes gazed slowly over the children. Crowley wasn’t kidding when he said they were different.

Orchid and Vervain were definitely twins. There were the normal traits: both were skinny and had similar facial features and heights. But their entire color physiques were like the palettes of different shades of grey. Their skin was a light shade of grey while their hair was a much darker shade. The iris of their eyes were completely black. Their pupils were milk white and slitted like a snake’s. The only thing that was colorful was their clothing.

Vervain’s hair was short but had little tufts sticking out around his neck and at the back of his scalp with lovely curly bangs. He wore a silk shirt with huge flowing sleeves that ended around his elbows. His shorts were also silk, ending around his knees, the hems billowing a bit. His eyes had a shy and timid sense about them through the thin layer of calm.

Then there was Orchid who was just as hypnotically pretty as her brother. Her hair was in a braid that had been perfectly tossed to one shoulder and ending around her chest. Unkempt bangs fell delicately over her forehead, slightly close to covering her eyes. She wore a long silk gown that ended around her ankles. Her eyes were filled with a gentle sense of kindness and maturity that was stronger than her brother. 

Aziraphale was flabbergasted and left speechless by their gorgeous complexions. These were definitely no ordinary celestial beings. But, my, were they fascinating.

The angel’s expression slowly changed from shocked to an astonished smile. He had recognized them from the drawings upstairs. That must’ve been them when they were little because the drawings had shown them when they were really tiny. Then before Crowley could stop him the angel walked up to them.

The twins’ eyes widened a bit and they took a step back. Aziraphale ignored it, keeping in mind they’re nervous. The angel quietly chuckled. “It’s an honor to meet both of you.”

Aziraphale then held his hand out to Vervain. But Vervain didn’t move. He only stared anxiously at the angel. Orchid was also frozen in place; both obsessed and terrified of the celestial being right in front of her. Being near him when he’s asleep is different from being near him when he’s awake.

“It’s alright,” Aziraphale spoke softly to Vervain. “It’s just a handshake.”

Vervain hesitated again. But after a few seconds, he slowly and gently took the angel’s hand and shook it. Aziraphale’s smile widened. Vervain smiled shyly in return. He looked into the angel’s blue eyes. They shined like sapphires and they were filled with so much love. It was fascinating.

Then Aziraphale let go of Vervain’s hand and moved on to Orchid who wasn’t as resistant to shaking his hand. Orchid was also admired by the angel’s sparkling blue eyes and she also gave him a shy smile.

Then he let go of her hand as well. He heard Crowley walk up behind him. Aziraphale looked at the demon only to see tears in his eyes. The angel’s smile faded to a look of concern.

He sniffled a bit. “Alright, you guys can run off, now. I believe you still have some chores to do.”

And for the first time, the children spoke. “Yes, mother.”

Aziraphale watched as they walked off, looking a little shaken.

Crowley wiped at his eyes. “Welp, that was them….What did you think?”

“Crowley,” Aziraphale looked at him with amazement. “They’re beautiful!”

“Wow…um…thank you,”The demon’s bitter expression softened to a mix of shock and gratitude. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes again and he did everything to hold them back. “uh heh…never thought any angel would say that about them…”

The angel was surprised. Why would he think differently about their appearances?

“Crowley, where did they come from?” Aziraphale asked.

Crowley frowned, then barked a laugh. “Didn’t I tell you they were mine?”

Aziraphale’s eyes widened. “WH— You mean by blood?!”

“Wasn’t it obvious?” Crowley chuckled. Aziraphale stayed silent. He felt so stupid, he should’ve known they were actually related biologically and not through adoption.

The demon’s smile faded to indifference. He said, “Can we talk about them…outside? I’m not comfortable with them around and possibly eavesdropping.”

“Oh,”Aziraphale nodded. “Alright…”

Then Crowley lead Aziraphale out to the backyard; where all of the angel’s questions about the demon and his extraordinary children would be answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to give a better description of what Orchid and Vervain looked like. I do art of them on Instagram a bit and am trying to develop their own personal story in their real universe. But i still like it when they’re parented by Aziraphale and Crowley.


	6. How they came to be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley tells Aziraphale everything about the twins and how they came to be.
> 
> Warning for a bit of swearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long. Like i said before, writing is really tough for me and it’s hard to find motivation for it. This story may take forever to actually be completed, but i won’t give up on it. Besides, I’m stilling diggin’ this idea I just don’t know where I’m going with it.

Crowley led Aziraphale outside through the back door. The moment the angel set foot into the demon’s backyard, his vision was bombarded with colorful flowers and leaves.

Being an angel who rarely was allowed to leave Heaven to see earth, Aziraphale was never able to properly learn the names of all the flowers before him. But he gaped at them in awe, all the same.

“Here,” Crowley said, pointing to a marble stone bench. “We can sit here. I don’t wanna exhaust your legs.”

“Alright,” Aziraphale nodded, still stunned. “My, Crowley! Your garden is magnificent!”

“Thanks,” Crowley looked down, slightly blushing as they sat down. “I grew them all myself. They’re all very well disciplined.”

The demon looked up and narrowed his eyes at a plant with gigantic ebony green leaves that seemed to be trembling out of fear. He hissed at the plant to make it stop. “This garden is also a good breathing space for whenever I’m angry or upset. I use it so I don’t take my anger out on the kids.”

Crowley’s gaze then lingered towards the house where the children were probably rummaging around in one of the rooms somewhere. Aziraphale noticed the familiar flash of motherly affection glint through the demon’s eyes again. It always seemed to appear when he’d bring up the twins. It must be a common emotion in parents, Aziraphale thought. If so, it makes perfect sense.

“Sounds like a great strategy,” Aziraphale murmured sweetly. “So, you wanted to reveal to me how they came about?”

“Yeah,” Crowley scratched the back of his head. “It’s rather long though.”

“I can take it,” Aziraphale insisted confidently. Crowley smirked, but his eyes were filled with bitterness now.

Crowley sighed. “It began before the fall of The Great Rebellion…”

***

Now, I can barely remember my life as an angel these days. It seems the longer I stay as a demon, the more memories that fade away. I try my best to bring them back but it’s really no use. Probably the main thing I remember is the most painful….being told I was to fall for asking too many questions.

The second thing I remember is falling in love. All of those feelings during those days were so warm and happy because of….him. I really hope his love for me in that time was real and not a setup. But I’ll never know.

Although, during that time I really thought it was true. Because even after I fell and turned into a writhing and disgusting demonic creature…he still came back to me. He had told me he still loved me. So we started a secret affair on the newly created planet earth.

But you probably may remember a rumor about Eden. And to answer your question, yes, I was the one who tempted Eve to eat the apple. I was just told to go up there and make some trouble. My lover hadn’t returned to me at that time so I really didn’t give a shit about what I was supposed to do anymore. I was no longer one of God’s favorites so, in my mind, nothing really mattered.

Then when he came back, all of those happy emotions returned and I would use any excuse to be with him for one night or more.

When I was with him I told him everything. How excruciating and heartbreaking the fall was. What the demons did and how we had treated each other. And the conditions I had to deal with. We would always meet in this little hut that he had built and we’d be together. He’d hold me close and would whisper sweet nothings into my ear. He always knew the right words to say to make me happy. To make me feel like I was still an angel.

Damn, was I so gullible and naïve back then…

We even had special nights where we would make endless love until morning. It’s something I’m ashamed to think of now and I’d rather not go into detail about how it would always feel. Those moments don’t really matter anymore.

So it wasn’t long before I found out I was pregnant; after throwing up constantly for almost an hour (mainly because the food Downstairs was the absolute worst). I was shocked, happy, and very fucking scared.

I really thought my lover would feel the same way. I was so daft to think he’d want to have children with a tarnished creature. So I didn’t expect his reaction to be a stunned bitterness and…I think horror at finding out there were not one but two babies growing inside me.

Even when he left, I still believed he had loved me like this. That maybe he just needed some time to process that he was going to be a dad.

But when he returned to our little hut…he wasn’t alone. Behind him were two armed guards from Heaven. At one point I heard him mutter that I had seduced him to do my bidding; like I was the real criminal. Then he kept on going and called me such crude things.

I was frozen, my mind stuck between betrayal and denial. I was so confused that I didn’t know if I should’ve ran or not (now that I think about it, I should’ve fled right then and there).

Then they broke down the door and he, the one who I had loved and cherished all that time, called me a demonic whore and tried to drag me back to Heaven. Not to become an angel, no. But to execute me while my children were still in the womb. Abominations he had called them. His own children.

I cried and begged him not to take me away. And he just glared at me and slapped me sharply across the face. The whiplash from the hit was so overwhelming I thought my neck would break. I remember him whispering that I was so easy to trick because I was so thick headed and pityingly desperate for God’s love. Not like being labeled a demon wasn’t hurtful enough, eh?

He started dragging me again, his grip was like iron. I tried to break free by kicking and pulling but I was too weak.

Then as he continued to drag me outside, I remembered his weak spot thanks to all of those intimate nights with us together. I kicked again and my foot hit him directly in the groin, loosening his grip on me. He cried out, getting the guards’ attention.

But thankfully (and I mean thankfully) I remembered at the last second that I could just morph into a snake (I could be a forgetful idiot when I panicked). And that’s exactly what I did. I was only in the first trimester so I was able to slither about quite well.

I dug into the sand, making sure to fill it up so the angels could never find it. That was the last time I ever saw my ex-lover.

I was traveling underneath the sand for quite awhile before I deemed it safe to peek my head out. The coast was clear.

I was able to find a little cave to hide in and I transformed back into my human form.

I sat there, reflecting over those few seconds of cruelty that were able to successfully overlap all those nights where we were together. Those happy memories turned into lies. I felt my cheek where he had slapped me to confirm that that had all happened; that his betrayal and hate was more real than his love for me had ever been. I sobbed throughout the entire night.

For the next 5 months, I traveled to different cities to find what I could just to keep my children alive. All my love and care had traveled to them because I made them. And they were all I had left in my life at that point.

Throughout that time, I had to hide from Heaven and Hell because I knew either side would make sure I was deeply punished for what I had done.

So I traveled on foot, going from place to place to stay hidden. But when I hit five months, it was getting harder to move around. My round belly and swollen ankles slowed me down and I eventually stopped in this city.

For days, I went without food and I could feel myself fading as well as the children. I truly thought I was gonna die.

But then this elderly lady knelt down in front of me, lending me bread, asking if I was okay. She didn’t seem afraid of my eyes or the fact I had a male body.

Of course, I hesitated. I didn’t want to be tricked again. I felt too weak and vulnerable to go through another traumatic experience. I shook my head at her.

But she had insisted I take the food. Her voice was very gentle and consoling. She was actually able to persuade me that she wasn’t going to hurt me. And she didn’t.

I had greedily yanked the bread from her wrinkled hands, taking small bites as she kindly talked to me some more. She had asked me questions about my health conditions and felt my pregnant belly to see if the babies were okay. Thankfully, they were still alive. They just hadn’t moved in awhile.

Then she offered to tend to me in her house. I was reluctant but she had insisted that she wanted to help me. I could tell she wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer so I finally obliged.

She smiled and helped me up off the ground. She continued to support me by the waist as we got to her house. When we entered, she escorted me to a soft couch while she went to make me more food.

I looked around. It reminded me too much of the little hut with all of those memories, especially the bad ones. But then I saw all these lovely drawings of sweet children and even spotted a letter on the coffee table. It was probably to someone who was related to the old lady because there was so much kindness in the paragraphs. It was all overwhelmingly sweet. There wasn’t any falseness to it. It was all real. The love was everywhere. It made me burst into tears because I finally felt safe again.

When the woman returned with food, I was still crying but she calmly comforted me anyways. She rubbed soothing circles into my back and held one hand to my belly until I had recovered.

I thanked her constantly through my sobs because she truly saved my life. And she showed me so much kindness and love like she was my mother. And sometimes it felt that way.

After I calmed down, I dug into the food ravenously and chatted with the lady. She had called herself by the name of Marnie and had been the loving mother of many children. Some of them had moved on from her and they never seemed to write to her at all. And I think when she met me and when we grew closer, it helped her cope over her loneliness and grief.

And I was happy to have a motherly figure in my life again…

What made that day even better was when the babies began moving again. I was so relieved and overjoyed that I kept drumming my fingers over my tummy to get them to kick again. I cried happy tears and talked to them nonstop about loving them and promising them a happy life when they’d enter into the world.

For the rest of the pregnancy, Marnie was basically my caretaker. She made sure I ate enough food everyday, that I was comfortable, and would soothe the aches and pains all over my body. Thanks to her, I gained back enough healthy weight because my corporation was rather malnourished when she first saw me. I continued to talk to the children and my belly grew. Everything was beginning to look up.

The only setback was my trauma because of…him. There would be nights I would completely break down because I felt I didn’t deserve what I was given. Sometimes I was angry at myself for being so gullible and dumb. That it was my fault that I almost died. That my children almost died.

That was when Marnie suggested I talk to her budding plants whenever I got like that. She told me to just get it all off my chest when talking to them. And surprisingly…it worked. I still do it because a lot of thoughts like to return to me and taunt me for a good 2 hours.

Heh…I can perfectly imagine seeing myself waddling around this garden with my hands on my hips and I’d be yelling, hissing, and glaring at all the plants, saying how worthless they all were if they decided to die on me. I don’t know if the plants found me intimidating or hilarious when I was angry and heavily pregnant.

Even though the anger and sadness recurs to this day, I at least have outlets so I don’t react to my mental health in an unhealthy way. But I’m getting off track.

Then there came the birth. Labor had decided to be an obnoxious prick and started in the middle of the night. Good thing was, Marnie was well prepared and knew exactly what to do during the different stages of my labor. And damn, were those contractions painful. They were the absolute worst things to sit through.

The process lasted well into the morning. By the time the sun started to peak over the buildings of the town, my water finally broke. Marnie had made a warm bath for me where I’d give birth to the babies.

I waded into the water and immediately began pushing because I was already fully dilated. And to be honest with you, pushing out the first baby was really easy. Vervain came out first and he didn’t put up a fuss when he came out. He made a cute little cry, the umbilical cord was cut, and Marnie took him away for cleaning after I got a good glimpse of him.

At that moment, I took the grey color of his skin as a normal thing. Because when babies are born, their skin color looks very dull because of the lack of blood flow. So I waved it off.

Now, when it came to Orchid…Ooh boy. Giving birth to her was a challenge. First we had to fix her position because she was feet first. Marnie and I agreed that it’d be too risky to do a breeched birth with her. So it took Marnie about an hour of pressing her hands on my belly to get her to head first position. It was not fun.

Then when I tried pushing, she crowns more than once. It was like she didn’t want to come out. At that point I was frustrated and was screaming every time I had a contraction, when I’d push, and when Orchid would crown.

But after awhile, she finally came out and…damn did she scream. After 30 seconds of her loudly wailing, me and Marnie just started laughing because her face was so red and her cries were filled with so much anger. She reminded me of myself during my labor and I kept laughing through the remaining contractions.

Marnie went through the same process that she did with Vervain. It took Orchid forever to stop crying but I didn’t care. All that mattered to me was that my babies were alive and well.

Once the afterbirth was done and I got cleaned up myself, Marnie held me by the shoulders as we walked back to the bedroom. Before Marnie could say anything to me, I passed out on the bed in a matter of seconds.

When I woke up again, it was evening. I was woken by a loud cry from another room. I got up and followed the sound until I found the nursery. And no surprise it was Orchid who had cried out. She really had some pipes on her when she was a baby. She’s rather quiet these days.

That’s when I noticed their abnormal appearances. Their skin was still grey. But they seemed healthy and not in any pain.

I Picked up Orchid and rocked her gently, shushing her cries before she could wake up her brother. Her cries completely came to a halt when she heard my voice. I found myself holding back tears when she opened her eyes and she even gave a little smile at recognizing me.

Then Vervain started to get fussy. I rocked his crib gently as I shushed and sang a little lullaby. It took a lot to keep the sobs out of my voice.

At that moment, I didn’t care that they looked different. They were my children and I would do anything to keep them safe with me. I still think of them now….and damn are they beautiful.

Marnie is no longer with us but I will cherish all the love and care she gave to me and my kids for millennia.

***

Crowley wiped away stray tears. “And that’s how my children came to be.”

Aziraphale sat there, the wheels turning in his head as he tried to process the entire story he just listened to. “Wait…so if an angel is their father…” His eyes widened. “Then they’re—“

“Half angel and half demon, yes,” Crowley finished.

“Oh…Oh dear,” Aziraphale gasped, taking it all in. Crowley stayed quiet, waiting for the angel to say his opinions on this peculiar predicament. A predicament that was too dangerous for anyone to know about.

Aziraphale finally found his voice again and smiled through his own shock and anxiousness. He looked at the demon again. “I…I didn’t think that was possible.”

“Welp, it is,” Crowley murmured bitterly. “Just no one bothered to try. Well…didn’t want to try. Until now.”

“Do Orchid and Vervain know what they are?” The angel asked.

“No,” Crowley admitted. “But they know they’re different.”

“So that’s why you led me out here,” Aziraphale said. “So they wouldn’t know. But why? Why don’t you want to tell them?”

“It’s complicated,” Crowley sighed, resting his face in his hands. It was another point of vulnerability in the demon: stress mixed with guilt. “I really want to tell them but…everytime I think about revealing it all….His face just always comes into my mind. And when Orchid and Vervain learn about Him, the man who was supposssssssed to be their father, was the one who wanted them dead…it’ll hurt them.”

The demon sniffed and swiped violently at his tears that kept falling. “And I don’t want that memory in their lives. I want them to know that they are loved. And that they’re safe. And a bastard like their father will never ruin them, even from far away.”

Tears brimmed in Aziraphale’s eyes, too. His hands resting protectively over his belly where his own child lay. The angel looked down. “Was it also because he had called them ‘abominations’?”

Crowley took a deep breath, letting the remaining tears fall. He nodded. “It represented his hate for them most of all. If he had guards with him then, then that means the angels up there would want them dead as well. That’s why I was scared by how you would think of them. Hell, the first time I saw you I thought I was gonna have to kill you.”

Aziraphale felt a shiver go down his spine at that last remark. But he ignored it. “But you didn’t. In fact, you saved me.”

“Because you’re what an actual angel should be like,” Crowley faced the angel with a grin. “The way you interacted with all those humans, how sweet you were to my children even though they were different, and you didn’t attack those muggers who hurt you. You aren’t stone cold like the others. You are filled with love.”

Aziraphale blushed. “Well, everyone had always told me I was too soft for my own good. Even on the outside.”

“Well, I think it suits you,” Crowley assured him. “And I thank you for accepting my children.”

“No problem at all, Crowley,” Aziraphale replied sweetly. “You really are lucky to have them in your life.”

“Yeah. Just don’t snitch to the others up in Heaven when you return, alright?” Crowley teased, but there was an underlying hint of warning as well.

At the sound of the word Heaven, the angel’s smile faltered. His chest tightened. Of course, he thought. I must go back there, shouldn’t I?

But Aziraphale recovered before the demon could even notice. “Right, of course. My lips are sealed.”

“Good.” Crowley stood and and arched his back into a huge stretch. His torso twisted left and right in a slow manner, both his arms above his head. Once he finished, he adjusted his shirt and turned towards the house. “Well, I better finish making dinner before it gets too late. But first I’d like to say for you to enjoy the rest of your stay here, yeah?”

“Mhm.”Aziraphale was still sitting on the bench. He tried fighting whatever was trying to come to the surface in his mind but only failing. Did he really have to return? After all the kindness and true sympathy he was given down here?

“You okay?”

“Hm?” Aziraphale snapped out of it and turned his head. The demon was looking at him with a hint of concern. Must’ve given himself away a little bit from that last response. “Oh. Sorry, yes, I’m fine.”

Crowley raised an eyebrow, obviously not believing him. “Okay then. Well I’m heading in to finish dinner.”

“Can I stay out here for a little bit longer?” Aziraphale asked, trying to make his voice sound bright and bouncy. “I’d love to get a closer look at the flowers.”

“Yeah, sure. That’s perfectly fine.” Crowley permitted nonchalantly. He turned around again, taking a few more steps then hesitating again. He turned back around. “You sure you’re alright? Not having any early contractions, are you?”

Aziraphale scoffed. “Of course I’m not having any contractions. I’m fine, absolutely tickety-boo!”

Crowley snorted. Tickety-boo? “Alright. I’ll stop pestering you, then.”

Once the demon closed the door, Aziraphale sighed and gazed at all the plants. The angel took deep breaths, trying to keep his tears at bay.

He felt so trapped. He tried to keep on thinking about all the pure bliss these few days will give him but there was no optimism to be found. Soon, this delay will fly by and he’ll be back Upstairs where they were all waiting for him.

Even if he were able to convince Crowley, they’d still try to find him. Probably so they could take his baby away….

Aziraphale shook his head and wiped away stray tears.

“stop,” He whispered to himself. “Don’t think about that.”

But he knew he couldn’t help it. His insecurity had always tortured his mind. Why would it stop now? Because a demon and his hybrid children saved his life?

No. It never would. Not after They all engrained his flaws into his mind.

The angel sniffed, hugging himself gently.

“Just…enjoy this while you can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this satisfies y’all for now. Chapter seven will be a lot of hurt/comfort comin’ up. And i got a bit lazy at some parts but I’m lazy and this is the best it’s gonna get.
> 
> Edit: okay, i lied about chapter seven. Chapter 8 will have the big hurt/comfort. Chapter seven will be more fluffy.


	7. Budding Friendships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aziraphale finally gets to properly chat with the twins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some fluff before the tears and the revealing of secrets. And sorry if this chapter seems lazily done, i really didn’t want to work on it any longer.

The rest of the day had gone by much better. Thanks to Crowley and his spontaneous cooking skills, the sad cloud that had hung over the angel was whisked away after the first bite.

To be honest, Aziraphale was surprised at himself. He thought he’d give in to repressed anxiety and have a full meltdown in front of Crowley. But instead, his emotions stayed whirled up inside his head while he quietly ate. What made everything else easier was the demon himself.

Crowley definitely knew beforehand that the twins and Aziraphale would be quiet out of awkwardness. He knew with the angel because, to be fair, Aziraphale didn’t know Orchid and Vervain’s personalities at all. And Crowley knew the kids would be too terrified to utter a word because he knew how nervous they were to be having dinner with an actual angel.

So he did most of the talking in the beginning. Eventually the angel opened up and Orchid said a few things (Although, all of it was directed toward her mom). But Vervain stayed completely silent. Even though he was listening along he never took part in the conversation. By the end of dinner, he seemed relieved to finally go up to his room.

Aziraphale found himself growing a bit fond for the twins. They were so well-mannered and Crowley thinks very highly of them, too. What with Orchid’s subtle but bubbly personality and Vervain’s quiet but intelligent behaviors, how could he not?

Before going to sleep, the angel kept thinking about the little darlings. He thought about what they might’ve been like when Crowley was raising them. Oh, how lucky those two were to have a proud, protective, and very caring mother.

He dozed off, feeling warm and cozy. There were no nightmares that night.

***

The next day was far different because Crowley, Orchid, and Vervain were busy. Aziraphale had accidentally walked in on Crowley tutoring the twins. Good thing was they didn’t see him, so he watched quietly as the demon assisted his kids with writing essays.

It was a rather sweet moment to look upon. And it also gave the angel a chance to hear Vervain’s voice for the first time. It was low and soft but Aziraphale could hear the light tenor in his voice. He must be around the point where his tone was just starting to get lower.

He wanted to keep watching them; to see their true personalities when he wasn’t around. But Crowley had spotted him in the corner of his eye, along with the twins as well.

“Hey, you’re awake,” Crowley walked over to him.

Aziraphale smiled. “Sorry to interrupt. Just wanted to see what you were doing.”

“Oh, they’re just doing their lessons,” Crowley assured. “Here, let’s go get you some breakfast. I’ll be right back, kiddos!”

The angel followed Crowley into the kitchen.

“How did you sleep last night?” Crowley asked while he began to slice some bread.

“Like I was sleeping on clouds,” Aziraphale replied. “It’s probably going to be the few peaceful nights before the little one starts to kick, so I really enjoyed it.”

“Yup, enjoy those nights while you can, soon it’ll start to feel like you’ve got a cannonball in your stomach and it gets hard to move,” Crowley joked. “Trust me, I know.”

The angel laughed. “Did the twins keep you up?”

Crowley Groaned. “Oh, all the bloody time. They never ran out of energy! They just kept kicking nonstop.”

“My goodness,” Aziraphale mused. “Glad I’m only carrying one.”

“Yeah, you got lucky,” Crowley muttered. “But by the end of it, you’ll still feel like the size of a whale.”

Aziraphale snorted at that remark. Even though a part of hm was dreading the third trimester and how challenging walking will become, the demon made it sound less stressful. He was going to need that optimism when he gets to that point.

Crowley smiled softly at him. He’s never heard an angel snort before but it was rather adorable. Then that blue gaze set upon the demon and he returned to his current task, beginning to butter the bread.

“Um, would you like some soup as well?”

“Sure,” Aziraphale said smugly, noticing a tint of pink in Crowley’s cheeks. “I’ve also been meaning to ask you something.”

The demon looked up, flipping his hair out of his face. “What?”

“Do you have a library? I’ve been rather curious about the books down here on earth.”

“Oh,” Crowley lighted the stove and let the soup warm up in a small pot. He leaned against one of the counters, resting his long waves on one shoulder. “Yeah, we do. I just never thought angels would be all interested in literature.”

“No, they’re not,” Aziraphale admitted. “Well, they don’t care for human literature other than the Bible. Me, on the other hand, I’m quite curious to see what else these people have made. I actually read one yesterday morning after you left and, I must confess, I’d love to find more of them.”

“Really,” Crowley was impressed. He never thought he’d see the day where an angel looked highly upon humans instead of seeing them as small and pathetic. “Well, once you’re done with breakfast, I’ll take you there. It’s one of the biggest rooms in the house.”

“Oh, thank you,” Aziraphale clasped his hands over his chest, his eyes sparkling like the ocean. He seemed to be glowing a little. “I can’t wait to see all the books you have.”

Crowley chuckled. “No problem. But first you should eat.”

Crowley poured the steaming soup from the pot into a porcelain bowl. On a separate plate he laid the bread in a creative pattern before setting both dishes in front of the angel.

Aziraphale sniffed at the air, giving a satisfied hum. “Smells delicious. You’re such a good cook.”

“Yeah, having that skill keeps the kids happy,” Crowley winked, giving the angel’s shoulder a squeeze before heading towards the doorway. “I’m gonna head back. Once you’re done you can come to me so I can direct you to the library. Sound good?”

“Yes.”

“Fantastic. Enjoy your food.”

Once Crowley left, Aziraphale touched the shoulder the demon had squeezed. Such a small show of physical affection that made the color rise in the angel’s cheeks. He smiled to himself, playing the gesture over and over in his mind. All denial was out the door in a matter of seconds.

***

Once he was finished with his food, the angel followed Crowley’s instructions and was escorted to the library. It really was one of the biggest rooms in the house. There were stories of all kinds of genres as well as piles and piles of scrolls.

Aziraphale’s smile couldn’t be more wide at the sight of it all. All the creativity of the human mind kept sacred in pages upon pages of novels and slips of paper. How amazing was that?

“Make yourself at home,” Crowley told him before leaving the angel be.

“Oh, I will.” He rested one hand on his chest, taking it all in. He sniffed the air which smelled of dust, ink, and paper. This was territory he loved but so rarely ever got to see. So these next few days, he’ll gorge himself with knowledge and stories with no care in the world.

He explored the shelves high and low with the help of a wooden ladder (But he didn’t use it as much because he’d rather not get hurt again while pregnant), pondering over where to start. Should he start with science? Anatomy? Astrology? Fiction? History? So many choices!

Eventually, he picked up a book along the lines of history and science. He also discovered small containers of fresh ink and blank scrolls. Since he’d be returning to Heaven, might as well use the equipment to cherish these precious moments.

Aziraphale sighed and looked around the entire room. So many books, so little time. Maybe if he weren’t expecting and had a bit more experience with books, he’d probably be able to get through so much more.

He rested a hand on his belly. “If only I could show all of this to you, my little dove. Instead of what they have planned for you Upstairs.”

He didn’t feel anything except warmth. Aziraphale really was anxious for when the baby would start kicking. At the moment it rarely moves and he doesn’t think the baby can hear him yet. The angel sighed again, drumming his fingers over his tummy.

“Well, let’s do what we can,” Aziraphale murmured to himself. He walked to the center of the library where he found a plushy chair and sofa propped next to an empty fireplace. A perfect place to read in the quiet.

He sat in the chair and wiggled a little bit to get in the right position. His back rested against the soft cushions, his entire corporation relaxed and content. The angel prepped the ink quill and scroll and began reading.

***

Hours went by of the angel reading and jotting down notes in complete isolation of everything going on around him. Then one minute went by and he felt as if someone were watching him. He looked up towards the doorway in time to see a head hide behind the door.

He smiled. “No need to hide from me, dear. Come on out.”

It was Orchid. He recognized her once she revealed herself, wearing a silk gown, her entire hair up in a braided bun. Crowley really must’ve liked making her look fancy because she was also wearing a lavender silk dress that was so plain in design yet clashes wonderfully with her light grey skin. She was also carrying a wooden basket filled with laundry in between both hands.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—“

Aziraphale held a hand up. “There’s no need to be sorry. I understand you’re just ecstatic to see an angel like me for the first time.”

Orchid blushed, making her cheeks a darker tint of grey. She looked down, avoiding the angel’s eyes. “Yeah.”

Poor dear, Aziraphale thought. She must be so shy. He knew he wouldn’t get anywhere with her if he waited for her to say something. He set his book down, making sure to mark his place and gathered all of his concentration towards her.

“Well, here,” He gestured to the couch near his chair. “Why don’t you come join me and we can chat properly?”

Her head snapped back up in surprise, her white oval pupils completely tiny and her face a bit flushed. Aziraphale’s smile widened at her reaction but he refrained himself from laughing.

“Wh….Re—I,” She stammered. A huge part of her wanted so badly to say yes but one tiny fracture of her couldn’t help but hesitate. “I-I wish but…I have chores.”

She pointed with her head down towards the basket she currently held in front of her. Orchid grimaced. Why did she have to say that? She could’ve just said yes!

“Well you can come to me when you’re finished,” the angel reassured her, seeing her disappointed face. “I won’t be leaving this room for quite awhile.”

Hope resurfaced in Orchid’s eyes, a small smile about to form. “You really mean it?”

“Of course I do, dear.” Orchid blushed a little at the pet name and a smile finally formed on her face. She looked both ways of the hallway; all clear.She lifted one hand and snapped her fingers. In a split second, the basket of clothes disappeared and she sprinted into the library, landing on the sofa in a bit of a heap.

“They’re done! Now we can talk.”

Aziraphale watched the entire event with amusement, trying to stifle his laughter. Seeing her excitement to be able to properly chat with him was rather adorable and made him feel happy for himself. But he was also bit taken aback when she had snapped her fingers and the basket vanished into thin air.

“Did you just use your powers?”

“Yeah.” Then Orchid’s smile disappeared and was replaced with worry. She leaned towards him and whispered, “Please don’t tell mom!”

“Ah, then your secret’s safe with me, Orchid,” The angel placed his hand on his chest as a way of saying a promise. “But why don’t you always use your powers for your chores? Wouldn’t it be easier?”

“Mother doesn’t like it when we use them,” Orchid explained. “He wants us to focus on hands-on work so in the future we won’t always have to rely on our powers all the time.”

“Oh,” Aziraphale nodded in understanding. “That is rather reasonable of him. Well, he must be a good teacher since you seem to know your powers so well.”

“Yeah, but me and Vervain haven’t really mastered them yet,” She admitted, looking down at her small slender hands. “We know the basics, sure, but we don’t know how to use our powers as a way of defense. I think he’s hesitant to teach it to us because we’re different. And if we try to use it for fighting, he doesn’t know what’s going to happen.”

There was that word again: different. It always had a negative aspect to it’s definition for what Orchid and Vervain were. The angel wondered if the twins were insecure about their appearances. If so, then they shouldn’t be. Aziraphale saw them as beautiful and he’d stand by that statement until the end of his eternal life. The poor things probably grew up to think that people would despise and discriminate them for what they were. But that was just downright wrong. Having hybrid celestial beings was rare, yes, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, in his mindset.

Aziraphale was about to tell her that being a hybrid wasn’t a terrible thing but then he remembered what Crowley had told him.

_“If Orchid and Vervain learned about him…it would hurt them…”_

The angel sighed and held back that sentence and replaced it with something else. “I think it’s best if you be patient with your mother, for now. Who knows, maybe he’s just waiting a little bit until you’re older.”

“I know,” Orchid fretted, finding herself annoyed at that fact. “I just….I just always feel like he’s not telling us something.”

Aziraphale sighed. “Well—“

“Orchid!” Called out a voice in a fierce whisper.

Both the angel and Orchid jumped in their seats and whipped their heads towards the source of the voice. It was Vervain who was glaring irritatedly at his sister.

He took a few more steps forward, throwing his hands up. “What are you doing?!”

“Please don’t tell mom!” Orchid stood up urgently at the sight of her brother. It was strange for Aziraphale to see Vervain angry. So far he has been quiet and timid but at the moment he was the exact opposite. He forgot that Vervain was technically the eldest of the two. “I-I just wanted to talk to Aziraphale!”

“Did you use your powers again?” He question Orchid with annoyance in his voice. But there was no point in asking; the guilt in her eyes gave it away. He ran a hand through his coal grey hair. “Ugh, Orchid, I don’t want to get scolded again because you decided to be lazy!”

The angel noticed Orchid wince a little at that last sentence, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her dress. “W-Well, this time it was for a good reason.”

“Don’t worry, Vervain,” Aziraphale broke in before there was a big quarrel. “I can cover for both of you if he finds out.”

Vervain let out a breath and crossed his arms. It seems the shyness from before was beginning to settle in because he just remembered Aziraphale was in the room. “‘If’ doesn’t matter, it’s ‘when.’ He always senses when we use a miracle, there’s no point in hiding it.”

“Well, even _when_ he finds out, I’m still going to cover for her,” Aziraphale insisted.

Vervain studied Aziraphale’s eyes. They were filled with genuine honesty. Vervain moved in his spot, looking away as he talks. “Well, mom does seem to like you so…I guess it’s fine.”

Aziraphale smiled and Orchid made a sigh of relief. She clasped her hands in front of her mouth. “Thank you.”

“That doesn’t mean you’ll always get away with your miracles!” Vervain pointed at her, giving her a warning glare that said: _‘I won’t be taken down with you when we get caught again!’_

“I know! I know!” She whined, annoyed by her brother’s paranoia. The angel looked between them. Both had a shyness but Vervain seemed to have his mother’s strict attitude when it comes to rule breaking.

“Well, since you’re here now, dear boy, would you care to join us?” Aziraphale asked.

Vervain snapped his head toward the angel, a tint of dark grey coloring his cheeks. It seems the entire family gets flushed whenever Aziraphale calls them ‘dear.’

And like Orchid, Vervain stammered before he could conjure up a proper answer. “I-I’m sorry b-but I have to finish a few things first.”

“Come on, Vervain,” Orchid raised a brow at him, her hands on her hips. “I know you want to talk with Aziraphale right here as much as I do!”

“Shut up!” Vervain blushes a bit harder as he begins walking away. “I’m coming back! I’m just gonna go finish my chores the _right_ way! I’ll only be a few minutes.”

He fast walked out of the library, both hands clenched into fists with his back completely stiff and tense to make himself look like he’s not messing around.

Orchid shakes her head. “Goody-goody.”

Aziraphale snorted at the name. What an interesting pair these twins are, he thinks. Both so shy but then seeing their sassy attitudes reminds him of Crowley. These few days with them will definitely be more eventful if this is how they act all the time.

***

After the childrens’ lessons were done and he had sent them off to do their chores for the day, Crowley had headed out into his garden to do a bit of pruning and disciplining. Thankfully for the plants, he has been in a good mood these past few days. Even before Aziraphale had shown up.

Such beautiful flowers that had bloomed with the help of his gentle hands and sharp witty tongue. He gently brushed his fingers over shaking dark leaves, shushing it to stay calm. This one had been flourishing lately so there was no need to be afraid of him.

Even for the plants he was angry at, he just gave them warnings in a low hiss which usually has caused them to increase speed in growth. After he had screamed at them during a parental breakdown, the low hiss worked better than it did before.

Once satisfied with the yard work for the week, he went back inside, covered in sweat and dirt. He began searching for his darling Orchid to see what she was up to; her miracle could be sensed from outside the house. Whenever either of his kids performed a miracle, a weird sensation would go through his body. With Orchid, it was a tingling sensation. With Vervain, it was a chilling sensation, as if ice was put down the back of his shirt. So whenever either performed a miracle, he always knew which one did it.

But before he’d find her, the demon went to the bathroom and washed his face, arms, and legs with a soaking wet towel and released his locks from his tightly braided bun and let them fall past his shoulders. His long fingers ran through the rich strands, remembering how the twins would grab at them while they had slept against his chest. He smiled at long ago memories, remembering deep down that even though he loved his darlings for eternity, he still needed to give them a good scolding once in awhile. Not as much as his plants but close enough.

***

He walked around the house, following the location of Orchid’s aura. Crowley found himself about to enter the library. He shook his head; of course she’d do it to see Aziraphale.

He peeks his head out from behind the door, preparing to interrupt everything when he found himself halting when he saw that Vervain was there was well. But there had been no miracle from him or the angel! He probably finished before hand. Always too afraid to break the rules nowadays, wasn’t he?

The angel was talking with both of them. He was too far away to hear what they were saying but he could tell that they were laughing. Orchid waved her hands animatedly, her eyes sparkling as she talked to Aziraphale while Vervain sat quietly with a smile of his own. The angel had that same dimpled smile and sparkling blue eyes that he gave the twins when he first met them.

Crowley just leaned back against the wall, smiling as well. Maybe confronting Orchid about the pointless miracle can wait until dinner…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School is starting for me Monday so writing these chapters will be slow again. And for those who leave comments, thank you, because it gives me motivation to continue to write fics like this.
> 
> And if y’all ever want a modern day fic where this entire family lives a happy life with the rest of the crew, then i will gladly post the first few chapters for that one. Thank you!
> 
> Update: Just posted the first chapter for the modern story, please go check it out!


	8. Never Going Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Aziraphale stays at their house for longer than he promised, Crowley finally decides that enough was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the big hurt.
> 
> TW for mentions of sexual assault and abuse

For the next few days Aziraphale starts his own routine amongst the family. He’d start the day off with a scrumptious and fulfilling breakfast before going to the library where he’d spend hours reading and note taking. Sometimes the children would come in during their free time to chat with him. Sometimes they’d ask about heaven, wanting to know what it’s like. But Aziraphale would avoid that topic in any way he could. Then Crowley would announce dinner and the angel would join them at the table. And for the evening, he would spend the entire time with the family; either playing games, crafting, or just having a conversation. Then he’d go to sleep, having peaceful dreams.

It was the kind of routine the angel had always wanted to have. Most of his worries were extinguished and he felt content. No one to judge him and no one to control his actions.

Aziraphale was happy…

————————————————-

Crowley enjoyed the angel’s company. It was nice to be around an adult celestial being again. Someone he could relate to, in a way.

And damn, was he sweet! Never has he met a genuinely nice angel in so long. He was at least expecting the hormones to make the angel excessively emotional and or have to help home with aches and pains but nothing. Sometimes, Crowley forgot that Aziraphale was even pregnant.

Aziraphale really was lovely. And Crowley was sad that he’d have to leave soon. But it was for the best. If he wanted his children to be out of danger, this was the right course to take.

But Aziraphale never left…

Or, well, he just didn’t bring it up and he completely forgot. Either way, Crowley knew it was his own damn fault as well. He thought to himself that he probably shouldn’t push the topic and let Aziraphale go in his own time.

But then a few days turned into a week….and then two weeks…

Then by the third week, Crowley knew Aziraphale was never going to say that he’s ready to leave. It was rather obvious. Everytime Heaven was mentioned or the fact he’d need to leave soon, Aziraphale would curl in on himself and go quiet. He even avoiding the topic of Heaven altogether around the kids.

From what Crowley could tell, it meant that Heaven was still a serious threat to him and his family. He shouldn’t have waited that long….

It was time to get the angel out of his house…

————————————————-

Crowley found Aziraphale with the twins in the library again. The three of them have grown rather fond for each other over the past three weeks. The demon had walked in on them while Orchid was telling a funny story. He waited. He watched patiently as Orchid delivered the punchline and Aziraphale burst out laughing, his eyes crinkling and the dimples at the corners of his lips become more prominent than before. Orchid and vervain were both laughing along too, their crooked smiles showing white glinting teeth.

Aziraphale was wiping at his eyes when he noticed Crowley standing at the door. “Oh! Hello, Crowley!”

Orchid and Vervain both froze and stood up, looking at their mother expectantly. Crowley waved them off, signaling he wasn’t there for them. The twins nodded and sat back down.

Crowley looked at Aziraphale without the slightest hint of affection. “Aziraphale, I’d like to speak with you.”

“You can speak to me whenever you like Crowley, you know that,” Aziraphale answered sweetly, not noticing the demon’s ominous silence. “What is it you’d like to talk about?”

Crowley side glanced toward his children who (Being around their mom long enough to know when he’s serious or internally fuming) were watching him anxiously, waiting for the pin to drop. His heart twinged at the sight of them. What he was about to do would fracture their young spirits, he knows it will. But he’d rather they be safe than potentially dead. But he couldn’t announce this in front of them.

He faced Aziraphale again and brought his voice down to a low murmur.“Can we do this in private?”

The angel’s smile was gone in an instant, now starting to realize how serious this actually was.

“A-Alright,” Aziraphale said. He tried standing up but found his legs a bit wobbly and had to hold onto the chair’s arm for support. Orchid was about to stand up and help him but he waved her off, reassuring her he’s absolutely fine. Crowley hadn’t moved at all but patiently waited until the angel was finished pulling himself together.

“You two stay here,” He says to the twins. “Aziraphale, come with me.”

Without waiting, Crowley started walking. He knew the angel was following him by the soft sound of his footsteps against the tiled floors. It didn’t take that long until they arrived to the double-door entrance of his study.

“In here.”

The demon pushed both doors open with gentle presses, revealing a tall hollow room. The walls were filled with bookshelves and two tall narrow windows at the back that revealed grassy plains going on for miles. In the middle of the room was a wide dark wood desk with an ink bottle and some paper on it’s surface. Aziraphale gaped at the overwhelming interior. He never entered the room because it never paid him any thought to take a peak through the door.

“Is this your office?” Aziraphale inquired. “I must say it’s rather lovely, wish I had one of my o—

“Rambling won’t help you, Aziraphale,” Crowley cut him off as he continued walking towards the desk.

That caught Aziraphale off guard. It was probably the first time Crowley had ever firmly interrupted him like that. But the angel tried to keep up his gentle attitude. “But I-I wasn’t rambling—“

“Let’s just get to the point, shall we?” Crowley turned back around and leaned against the sharp edge of the desk, crossing his arms. There was no longer any friendliness in his demeanor as he watched Aziraphale’s face become etched with confusion and a bit of worry.

The angel couldn’t help noticing the beauty of the demon right then and there through his dread of what’s to come. Crowley was dressed in a slim sleeveless gown that flowed all the way down to his ankles. It was a sunset orange with golden lace tied around his waist. Aziraphale could see his bare arms dappled with dark freckles that also decorated the bridge of his nose and cheeks. Those golden amber eyes never failed to give him shivers down his spine. And, oh, how he wanted to brush his fingers through those wavy red locks; there were strands falling down his chest while the bulk of his hair flowed down to the back of his waist. Such perfection from a fallen angel.

“Crowley? What is this?” Aziraphale asked after his thoughts remembered his current predicament and came into focus.

The demon sighed, glancing down once before answering. “Aziraphale…you’ve been here long enough…It’s time for you to return to Heaven.”

Aziraphale felt a heavy pit in his stomach and his heart began to pound. A part of him knew this moment would happen at some point but it still impacted hard. Crowley, the demon that saved him and his baby’s life, was now sending him back to…Heaven. Icy, stone cold heaven. Not only would he be sent back to Heaven. He’d be sent back into the chains of the angels. Into the chains of…

“I don’t think you’re aware of this,” Crowley spoke up after the angel stayed silent for more than thirty seconds. “But it takes two people to conceive. Am I correct in saying this little guy has another parent?”

Crowley made an eye glance towards Aziraphale’s stomach, making the angel automatically clasp his hands protectively over his belly. He stood up straighter, feeling a lump rise in his throat from how Crowley’s words seemed to cut at his already broken spirit. He talked all formal as if the last three weeks meant nothing. _Maybe it never did._

“Y-Yes.” Aziraphale affirmed softly.

So why have you never spoken about him?” Crowley inquired further suspiciously. Never once had he asked until now. _Of course, now, he’s gotten impatient with you, you stupid angel!_

Aziraphale started twiddling his thumbs, wringing his fingers. “Crowley i-it’s complicated, that’s a—“

“Well, I don’t care,” Crowley interrupted in a bit of a hiss. “Listen, Aziraphale, I don’t think you’ve noticed yet but that bump of yours has definitely gotten bigger sssssince you first arrived into our houssse.”

The angel blushed furiously at the remark and at Crowley’s finger pointing towards his pregnant belly. He kept his hands around his stomach defensively. But the demon was right. His belly _had_ gotten bigger since three weeks ago. There was a more definite curve to his baby bump now. And his angelic gown was starting to become a challenge to fit into, as of late. He felt like he made every room feel smaller, the extra attention on him not helping at all. But he couldn’t help it! His corporation was doing it all on it’s own, developing this tiny life that deserved so much better than what Heaven had in store for them.

“And whatever situation you’re in, I don’t want me or my children getting involved,” Crowley’s voice grew a bit louder, his motherly instincts kicking in.

“No harm will come to Orchid or Vervain,” Aziraphale swore meaningfully. _Those poor darlings…_

“NO!” Crowley snapped back. “That’s where you’re wrong! Don’t you think your husband will notice how long you’ve been gone for?! Do you have _any_ idea how dangerous this could be for my family?!”

“Crowley, I know but—“

“Or is this jussssst a vacation for you?” Crowley hissed sarcastically, putting up a fake smile with both of his hands on his hips. “Waiting to reach that five month mark?”

“What? No!”

“Or how about six months?” Crowley continued, his voice dripping with bitter anger. “Seven? Or, for all I bloody care, deliver the baby here and return to the daddy with a special surprise?”

“Crowley, stop, please,” Aziraphale whispered heartbrokenly. He could feel tears rising in his eyes and the lump rising in his throat. Crowley’s words sounded all too familiar to the others. _Why did I think it would be a good idea to stay? Did I really think he’d just allow me to barge into their lives unannounced?_

“Wait here another week and I bet they’ll bring guards like before,” Crowley ranted on, his anger becoming more visible. “And they’d never spare the lives of abominations like them—“

“Crowley!” Aziraphale cried, his hands clenched into tight fists. “I know, I see your point! I truly understand why you’re angry but….I can’t go back.”

The angel’s voice broke then and one tear had escaped from the corner of his eye. His lip was quivering and he was trying to stand tall and stay composed. _Pathetic._

There was sadness in Crowley’s eyes as he watched the angel try to hold back his tears. He stated softly, “Tears aren’t going to work on me, angel. It’s time to go.”

“Please,” Aziraphale begged, his head shaking desperately. “Don’t make me go back.”

“I’m sorry…but you must go.”

A part of Aziraphale knew that pleading wasn’t going to help and he was right. The one source he had to freedom was now throwing him out and leaving him in the dust. But if he could protect his children then the angel was going to do so as well. Aziraphale breathed deeply until he felt he could control himself.

He looked the demon dead in the eye as he firmly answered, “No.”

Crowley’s face changed from sadness to deep anger in a matter of seconds, his pupils dilating so small they were nothing more than thin lines. His eyes glowed dangerously as black scales began to form around his face.

“You want to be difficult?” He growled, fangs becoming prominent in his mouth. “Fine. I can play with difficult.”

Crowley snapped his fingers and a white portal appeared behind Aziraphale. He felt his heart drop at the sight. It was a portal back to Heaven….

Aziraphale started taking steps back when he felt the pull of the celestial power trying to claim him. _Nonononono_

Then Crowley’s hand gripped fiercely onto the angel’s left arm, nails digging into his soft pink flesh as the demon began to drag him towards the portal.

Aziraphale’s panic began to heighten, his breathing becoming erratic. He tried pulling away but Crowley’s grip was like iron.

“NO!” Aziraphale protested. “Let me Go!”

“Not a chance,” Crowley hissed furiously. The angel didn’t know if he was hallucinating or not but the demon’s corporation seemed bigger than before. “I’m doing thisssss for my family!!”

“Let go of me!!!” Aziraphale yelled, his panic peaking tremendously. He continued to pull against the demon’s tight grip even when his wrist was throbbing and bleeding from the deep puncture’s of Crowley’s abnormally sharp nails.

“FACE IT, AZIRAPHALE! I HAVE TO TAKE YOU BACK!!”

But Crowley didn’t understand, Aziraphale thought. He wasn’t just taking him back to Heaven and God; he was taking him back to the other angels; he was taking him back to his husband; he was taking him back to the invisible chains that he had only escaped three weeks ago; he was taking him back to the abuse, grief, and loss that awaited him. Back to being controlled like a mindless pawn…

_“No….NO!!”_

Aziraphale felt something warm conjure into his chest. It spread throughout his body, continuing to grow stronger. Crowley looked back at him, eyes widening at what he was witnessing.

Aziraphale was glowing a blinding gold. Ancient blue eyes began to open throughout his body. The angel curled on himself as he felt this overwhelming sensation preparing to burst from his chest. “NO….I….WILL….NOT!!!!”

Aziraphale convulsed and a massive wave of light surfaced from his chest and hit Crowley so hard he released his grip on the angel and flew across the room. His body slammed into a bookshelf, bringing a lot of books to collapse on him when he hit the floor. The demon’s entire body felt like it was burning, his hand seething terribly most of all.

He looked up, gaping at Aziraphale through the burning of his eyes. Aziraphale’s pure white wings were now visible, stretching to the width of the room. His aura took up the entire room. He shined in golden light that was literally beginning to blind Crowley.

“YOU SHALL NOT RETURN ME TO HEAVEN! I WOULD RATHER OBLITERATE MY SOUL THAN RETURN TO HEAVEN!!! AND I’LL—I’LL—“

Aziraphale’s words came to a halt when he finally noticed Crowley. The demon was lying on the ground weakly, covered in dust and books. There were burns all over his body from the angelic light he was releasing. It was ten times more powerful because of the baby inside him. Crowley groaned under the weight of his injuries and all the objects atop his back.

The angel’s emotions switched from anger to shock and then finally to guilt and regret.

_What have I done?!_

He fought for freeing himself of Heaven and all it did was cause him to hurt another. The tears returned, rapidly falling over his cheeks. All of the angelic power that had spread throughout the room absorbed itself back into Aziraphale. His wings were tucked away as before and the immortal eyes that decorated his skin closed once again.

It had been so long since that much power had ever been used. And it all came out of nowhere. It was helpful, yes, but the side effects afterwards (especially when pregnant) truly made an angel’s corporation weaken.

Aziraphale could feel those side effects now beginning to bring themselves to his attention. But they didn’t need to. The angel already felt mentally exhausted as tears continued to flow from his eyes followed with quiet sobs that couldn’t be repressed. Aziraphale’s legs buckled and he collapsed onto the floor, his back against the desk. He curled in on himself, covering his face with both hands. His sobs grew louder and more broken, his mind filled with fear of everything, especially himself.

Crowley could feel the burns starting to fade away and the bones in his corporation fixing themselves back up. He blinked a couple times to bring moisture back to his eyes, clearing his blurred vision. He sat up, books falling off his body as he did so. He looked at where Aziraphale was, curled up and sobbing like a scared child. It broke the demon’s heart, knowing guiltily enough he was the reason for those tears. He had gone too far and had been too stubborn to listen to the poor angel…

“Okay,” Crowley broke the silence between them. “You’re not going.”

Even if he heard him or not, the angel continued to cry, his hiccuping sobs echoing throughout the room.

There was a loud bang from the study door as it was slammed open. Crowley yelped and jumped into a standing position out of panic. Orchid and Vervain barged into the room, their faces filled with heavy amounts of worry and anxiety.

“Children, what are you—“

“We heard yelling,” Orchid panted.

“Is everything al—“ Vervain paused when he spotted Aziraphale. Concerned, he started taking steps towards the emotionally broken angel. He had never seen him cry before. “Aziraphale?”

“Vervain, no.” Crowley came up to the twins and blocked their view of the angel, giving the poor thing some dignity. “Thanks for being worried, I really appreciate it, but I’ll handle it all from here. Okay?”

“Mom! You have burns!” Orchid gasped, gaping with wide eyes at her mother’s arms which were still badly burned from the celestial light.

Crowley smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. Both of you can wait in the other room while I take care of Aziraphale. Got it?”

The twins wanted to say more but they knew when their mother was finished with a conversation with them. So, instead, they both nodded a bit glumly and took their leave. Crowley closed the doors behind them. He took a deep breath, feeling as his body worked endlessly and speedily to heal his burns, and turned around to face Aziraphale. It was time they both had a more…proper chat about heaven.

Crowley knelt down in front of Aziraphale but refrained himself from speaking. The angel was trembling. His uncontrollable sobs were causing him to hyperventilate. A panic attack, Crowley thought. And given the excess celestial adrenaline used earlier, Aziraphale has left himself rather vulnerable.

But Crowley wasn’t there to hurt him and take him away. No. This time, he was here to help.

“Aziraphale,” Crowley spoke to him gently. Aziraphale lowered his hands, revealing his red-rimmed eyes and his tear stained cheeks. The angel seemed to be slightly looking away from him. But he knew he had the angel’s attention.“I want you to take some deep breaths with me now, okay?”

The angel gave a tiny nod, permitting Crowley to slowly lay his hand in the angel’s soft one. He placed Aziraphale’s hand onto his chest, where his heart was beating.

“Follow my breathing. In through the nose…”

Aziraphale obeyed, his chest filling up with oxygen. “That’s it. Now out through the mouth…”

The angel exhaled slowly, focusing on Crowley’s heartbeat to keep him steady. “Good job. Just keep doing it over and over until you’ve calmed down.”

It didn’t take long to calm Aziraphale down. With Crowley’s comforting presence (even though he tried to drag him back to Heaven earlier) and soft voice, it wasn’t hard to find control over his emotions. He exhaled slowly one last time and rested his head against the desk. Crowley released the angel’s hand and looked away.

“I’m sorry, Aziraphale,” Crowley uttered. “I shouldn’t have been so tough on you.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Aziraphale sniffled, shaking his head sadly. “You have every right to be angry with me.”

“But I still shouldn’t have been so harsh like that,” Crowley insisted. “I insulted you and was forcing you to leave. I’m no better than my ex—“

“Don’t say that!” Aziraphale snapped, catching Crowley by surprise. “Don’t ever compare yourself to that b-bastard, you’re a better person than he ever was. I’m the one who should know better! But I’m just a stupid coward of an angel…”

Aziraphale aggressively wiped away oncoming tears and began to cradle his belly. He sighed exasperatedly, rocking back and forth as if he were actually holding his baby.

Crowley watched sympathetically. It reminded him of how alone and scared he had felt for all those months on the road. He knew now was a good time to ask…

“Is it…” Aziraphale looked up at him and stopped rocking. “Does the father have something to do with this?”

“For the most part,” Aziraphale nodded, hugging his belly now.

“The other angels, too?”

The angel nods again.

Crowley sighed and moved to sit next to Aziraphale. He rested his back against the desk and faced the angel. “Welp…we’re not going anywhere. So…if you’re ready to talk…then I’m ready to listen.”

Crowley took the angel’s hand into his again and gave it a small squeeze to let the angel know he was there. The gesture made Aziraphale’s heart flutter and his cheeks go warm.

He looked away, sniffling. “Alright. I guess it’s about time I told you everything. But, to be frank, I don’t really know where to start.”

“Well,” Crowley pondered. “How about everything surrounding this little sweetheart?” He playfully pokes the side of Aziraphale’s belly, making the angel squirm at the touch. But Aziraphale smiles, nonetheless.

“Why did you get pregnant?” Crowley asked.

“Well, that’s simple,” Aziraphale answers. “Repopulation. We had lost so many angels to the fall and currently still are. So we temporarily started a new rank where angels would breed until we had enough stock.”

“Sounds fair enough,” Crowley commented.

“But I never planned to get pregnant of my own accord,” Aziraphale said bitterly. “I wasn’t originally a breeder. I’m actually a principality. But then that ranking was taken away from me.”

“Were you demoted?”

Aziraphale’s lip quivered as he nodded. Crowley realized then how sensitive of a topic this must’ve been for him. So he asked softly, “Why?”

“Apparently, I was slacking off,” Aziraphale stated sarcastically. “I was always guarding the heavenly forts to prevent any demons from sneaking in. Newly fallen angels were always trying to return. They were rather desperate.”

“Doesn’t sound fun to deal with,” Crowley regarded. Crowley himself always wanted to return to Heaven but he never saw the point in actually trying to go back. He knew he’d always be turned down and sent back. What’s the point of trying when it only hurts you more and reminds you of what you no longer are?

“Yes, it was,” Aziraphale admitted. “I think it was what lured me towards earth. That day in the market wasn’t my first trip down here. I’d visit the humans because whenever I helped them, I actually felt as if I had a purpose as an angel. Besides, we had enough principalities guarding Heaven so I thought I’d get away with my trips to earth. But after awhile they noticed all the ‘frivolous miracles’ I seemed to be wasting. Then the Archangel Michael demoted me to a breeder after giving me a stern talking-to.”

“Was it humiliating?”

“Yes…It really was,” Aziraphale’s voice grew soft. “What made it worse was…she promised me it would be a temporary punishment. Once I’d have given birth to one child, I’d be returned to my original duties once again. Just a one-time favor for our cause, she had said.”

Aziraphale looked down at his growing belly. Going over everything that had led him up to this point was rather peculiar, in his opinion. While he had been upset from the demotion, he had been rather excited to have a baby of his own, even if he had zero experience to work with when it came to children. He had been excited, nonetheless.

But then the painful memories hit him—clear as ever somehow. The lump in his throat came back and there were tears coming back into the corner of his eyes. He faced Crowley and gave a weak smile.

“That’s where the father comes in…”

Crowley could feel this boiling anger rising in his chest. Whatever he was about to learn, he knew it’d be terrible.

“Aziraphale…what did he do to you?”

—————————————————-

_4 months earlier_

_Aziraphale retched into the bin for the third time that week. It didn’t help with the sore pain between his thighs from another sleepless night of intercourse with his husband. There was never any say for him. It was for a cause. It would get him back to being a principality a lot faster. That’s all that mattered._

_But it still hurt. And lately it’s been making him sick out of exhaustion to stay strong._

_He looked into the mirror at his corporation. There were dark bags under his blue eyes and his torso has thinned out a bit. Hopefully he’ll recover some healthy weight again._

_“Aziraphale?”_

_He jumped at the light voice. “Uhm—Coming!”_

_Aziraphale rubbed his eyes to try and wake himself up. He adjusted his white flowing gown and tightened the lace around the spot where his chest and the top of his stomach met. Now that he looked more proper, he went to answer whoever was visiting him._

_At the entrance of his home stood Gwenine. Oh! His daily checkup._

_“Hello, Gwenine,” Aziraphale greeted her sweetly, trying to hide how tired he was. “I must’ve lost track of time. I completely forgot about today.”_

_“Oh, that’s okay!” Gwenine’s blue eyes sparkled sweetly. She always came in every month to check on him, being his personal midwife, so-to-speak. She was so kind to him. Probably one of the only angels in Heaven who never judged him. “But what about you? You don’t look so well.”_

_Aziraphale sighed. “Nothing gets passed you, does it?”_

_“I’ve been around enough angels to know when they are sick,” She whispered, giving him a small wink. “And are those bags under your eyes?”_

_“Well, I have to keep the husband happy,” Aziraphale said jokingly. But Gwenine could see the weariness behind his smile. She is aware of the relationship between them but if she wants to stay on Heaven’s good side, she has to just do her job and nothing more._

_“Well, I’ll make this checkup quick so you can get some well deserved rest,” Gwenine assured him, walking into his house._

_“Oh, thank you.” He couldn’t wait to get it over with. Over the past few months, there has been absolutely nothing. They had been trying and trying but nothing seemed to come of it. Aziraphale knew it was because his corporation was making it even more difficult. It had already been clear from the start that his body wasn’t used to being used as a carrier for a new life. Aziraphale had begun to lose hope for returning to a principality after another negative checkup after the third month. But his husband thought other wise and kept trying until Aziraphale’s body could no longer handle it for the night._

_Gwenine was the one thing in his new routine that made everything easier. From the first time he met her, he knew they’d get along pretty well. He’s grown to enjoy her company even though she’s only around for a short time. Today was no different._

_“Just lay down on the bed, there,” She instructed. “I’ll be gentle and quick. Then I’ll be out of your feathers.”_

_Aziraphale chuckled a little as he lay down. He lifted his gown to expose his stomach. Gwenine rested her hands around his lower abdomen, his stomach soft and warm underneath her palms and fingers. Aziraphale watched her as she explored through this one part of his corporation, searching for that little life. He was expecting, as usual, for her to say there was still nothing to be found and they’d just have to wait a little while longer._

_But this time Gwenine frowned, her touch lingering over his belly. She pressed down slightly as if examining more closely at something. Then she gasped and smiled. “Well, then…”_

_She lifted her hands from his belly, signaling he could roll his gown over it again. He sat up._

_Gwenine smiled up at him. “Congratulations, Aziraphale! You and your husband have successfully conceived! You’re pregnant!”_

_Aziraphale was silent, trying to process this shocking news. “You mean it?”_

_Gwenine nodded eagerly. “Yes! There was a heartbeat and everything! I’d say you’re already around six weeks!”_

_“Really?”_

_“Yes!” Gwenine said. “That must explain the sickness and the fact you’re glowing more than usual.”_

_“Oh, please,” Aziraphale blushed. Then he felt his stomach. “I finally did it…”_

_After all those months, he’s finally having a baby! Maybe he will return to being a principality after all!_

_“Want me to announce it to the father or do you want to handle that?” Gwenine asked._

_“Could you tell him?” Aziraphale gently asked. “It’s alright if you can’t—“_

_“No, don’t worry about it,” She waved his hand at him. “I’ll announce it to him as soon as I can.”_

_“Thank you.”_

_“You’re welcome, Aziraphale. And congratulations.” She patted his belly before getting up to leave._

_Aziraphale looked at himself in the mirror. His stomach was flat as it could be, for now. Given the extra weight around his middle, he probably won’t see anything until after the first trimester. He rested both hands on his belly._

_There was a baby in there…He was having a baby…_

_No words could express the happiness, relief, and fear he was feeling in that moment._

_——————————————————_

“It took me awhile to get pregnant,” Aziraphale said. “On the bright side, he stopped trying to do intercourse with me when he found out.”

“So he forced you to have sex?!” Crowley accused angrily.

Aziraphale nodded. “Many times.”

“Why didn’t someone stop him, then?! I don’t think they’d like to know he’s indulging into the sin of lust, being an angel and all.”

“Crowley, he was an archangel,” Aziraphale countered. “He was able to get away with a lot of things; trapping me to be a breeder permanently was one of them…”

“What?!”

“He was the one who convinced the Archangel Michael with his proposal about my position. I tried to protest but…”

———————————————————

_“How dare you propose that idea to them!”_

_“Aziraphale listen—“_

_“No, you listen!” Aziraphale shouted, his chest boiling with anger. “I only came here to do one thing and that was to make one child! Just to go back to being a principality! You ruined that for me!”_

_“Maybe you should sit down—“_

_“No,” Aziraphale came up to his husband, glaring him in the eyes and ignoring his husband’s warning tone. “You go back and tell them I’m not staying a breeder or I will—“_

_THWACK!!!_

_A sharp slap across the face silenced the blonde angel. The entire left side of his face stung and his left ear was ringing. Before he could speak, his husband had yanked his shoulder and dragged Aziraphale up until their faces were nearly touching._

_“Now, you listen,” He growled. “You should be grateful for what I did for you. If you’re taken back as a principality, you’ll be of no use to God or any other angel. All you’ll be seen in Heaven’s eyes is a dead weight that should be disposed of. You would mean nothing! Here, at least you have an actual purpose as an angel._

_“But I—“_

_“And if you try to return to your original rank,” He threatened. “You’ll be thrown off the cliffs of Heaven and drowning in boiling sulfur as quick as lightening.”_

_Aziraphale gulped, his shoulder starting to ache from his husband’s iron grip. He was silent and didn’t even feel anything when his husband had pushed him away and he landed on the floor with a hard thud. Good thing was, he landed on his hindquarters and not on his stomach._

_“Is that understood?”_

_“Yes…”Aziraphale mumbled quietly._

_“Good.” He then knelt down and placed a hand on Aziraphale’s stomach. Aziraphale didn’t move, just watched as his husband’s hand caressed his belly where the baby nestled. He must’ve been checking to see if it was okay. “Still alive and unharmed.”_

_Then he stood up. “I’m going to go establish things with Michael. You stay here and rest like you’re supposed to.”_

_Then he left, leaving Aziraphale on the floor alone._

_Aziraphale could feel the tears coming and he didn’t stop them. Even though he was in Heaven it felt like Hell._

_————————————————————_

Crowley just gaped at Aziraphale in shock after he finished. “Can he do that?!”

“Yes,” Aziraphale confirmed, his voice soft and brittle. He faced the demon as warm tears escaped from the corners of his eyes. “He wouldn’t leave me alone, Crowley. He always eyed my body lustfully even though he’d see me as the ugliest angel. He’d constantly touch my belly, saying he wants a boy…”

The angel’s hands tightened around his body protectively as he said this fact. His lip began quivering and it was getting more challenging to talk because of the lump in his throat. “I always dreaded his presence and I never thought my baby would be safe…”

“Oh, Aziraphale…” Crowley whispered. He could tell this was difficult to talk about. And for Crowley, it all felt too familiar to what he experienced.

“I can’t go back, Crowley,” Cried Aziraphale. “I can’t—“

His voice broke again as he covered his face in both hands. He hated how fresh those memories still were in his brain. Oh, how scary it all felt.

Then he felt arms gently wrap around him and pull him into a warm embrace. His sobs faltered. Crowley rested his head atop the angels and softly shushed his cries. It was a technique that had always worked with the twins when they got themselves into a meltdown that was so dramatic the poor things would have trouble breathing afterwards.

“It’s okay…” Crowley whispered gently. “He’s not here.”

“But you’re right, Crowley,” Aziraphale sobbed into the demon’s chest. “He’ll come looking for me! I’ve put your entire family in d-danger! I’m sorry…”

“Oh angel,” Crowley sighed, running his fingers through Aziraphale’s curly white-blonde hair. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

The angel sniffled. “I still thought you would kick me out…”

“I would never do that!” Aziraphale gave him an angry look that reminded him of what just took place a few minutes ago. “Okay, yeah, but I didn’t know you were treated that badly. And you hadn’t said anything so I got skeptical.”

Aziraphale rolled his eyes at him and rested his head against the demon’s chest. He could hear that relaxing heartbeat again. A lovely sound to be put to sleep to.

“I also fear another thing,” He confessed. “The pain and grief of becoming a breeder.”

“Why?” Crowley asked. He then noticed Aziraphale holding his belly again in a protective manner. “Aziraphale…what happens to the baby after it’s born?”

Aziraphale’s face crumpled. “They take it away…to become a soldier.”

“Wh—?” Crowley spluttered. “But aren’t angels supposed to be filled with love and kindness before that happens?!”

“It’s different now,” Aziraphale stated. “They’ll give me a few days with the child at most, if they’re generous.”

Crowley huffed frustratedly. “Sounds to me like Heaven has just gotten worse over time. No wonder you were avoiding the topic with Orchid and Vervain.”

“I didn’t want to break their hearts if they knew. I know how much they seem to love it.”

“Heh, you and me both,” Crowley remarked sarcastically.

“So…now what are you going to do with me?”

“Well, you’re staying, of course,” Crowley answered bluntly like it was the most obvious decision (because it was).

Aziraphale gasped. “R-really?!”

“Yeah of—Minh!”

The demon yelped as the angel pinned him in a tight embrace that was squeezing the air out of his lungs.

“Thank you!” Aziraphale exclaimed, crying happy tears this time. Crowley stayed frozen until his mind had fully recovered from that swift blow to his entire body. Aziraphale couldn’t see it but Crowley’s cheeks were glowing pink and there was a big smile on his face. Crowley slowly wrapped his arms around Aziraphale, savoring the moment.

After a few seconds of silent hugging, Aziraphale’s head shot up again, his eyes filled with worry again. “But, Crowley, what about—?”

“SHhhh,” Crowley held a finger against the angel’s lips, quieting him in an instant. “We can worry about them later. First, let’s announce this happy news to Orchid and Vervain. I predict they’ll be ecstatic.”

Aziraphale smiled. “Right.”

Crowley stood up from the floor and gently helped Aziraphale onto his legs. With one hand on the angel’s back and the other holding his hand, the angel was successfully put into a standing position. Crowley gave him a knowing smile when Aziraphale faced him again. Aziraphale blushed and looked away. And yet pregnancy was only going to get harder from here, he thought.

Together, they walked towards the door. Crowley opened it only to jump, yelp, and take a step back when he comes face-to-face with those white serpent-like eyes.

Crowley groaned. “I told you two to go wait in the other room! Why were you eavesdropping?”

“Sorry, mother, we just—“ Vervain started.

“We were worried and wanted to know what was wrong,” Orchid spoke up boldly, her entire body rigid as she looked her mother right in the eye.

Before Crowley could respond, Aziraphale bumped in. “Don’t worry now, darlings, everything has been resolved. And we have some good news for you.”

The twins quickly looked at each other then their gazes returned to their mother and Aziraphale. “What?”

“Well,” Crowley smiled, looking at the angel excitedly. “I’ve decided to keep Aziraphale with us for a little while longer.”

The twins gasp. Orchid’s face immediately lights up and Vervain didn’t hold back his own smile.

“Really?!” Orchid’s hands clasped her mouth. She jumped up and down. “That’s amazing! I’m so happy!”

Without warning, Orchid jumps up to Aziraphale and wraps him in a tight hug. Aziraphale grunts at the impact towards his stomach. “Ouch! Dear, be careful!”

“Oh, Sorry!” She let go and stepped back. She completely forgot about the baby that was being squished in between them.

Seeing Orchid’s guilt, Aziraphale holds his arms out, “Oh, come here!”

Orchid’s smile returns and she hugs him again, only more gently this time.

“It’s great that you’re staying with us, Aziraphale,” Vervain speaks up shyly.

“Oh come now,” Crowley teased, coming to stand beside Vervain. “I know you’re more excited than that!”

He ruffles Vervain’s hair, to his annoyance, trapping him in a side hug.

“Mom!” Vervain whined. But that sweet innocent smile hadn’t left his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it’s all fluff from here on out folks! The angels will come back but that’s a long way away. The next few chapters will progress through Aziraphale’s pregnancy and will have some snippets with the twins along the way. Hope you enjoyed reading!


	9. Little Sparks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: panic attack, harsh swear (just one)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally back! Took me forever to get this chapter done because of school

Crowley stood in front of his home. The streets behind him were empty of any humans that would succumb as witnesses to what he was about to do. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, resting his slender hands against his chest.

Minus reforming into his snake form the night he saved Aziraphale, it had been a long time since he had performed a powerful miracle. Summoning the portal had been easy and the slow transformation he had been going through while trying to drag Aziraphale towards it was a cause of reduced emotional control. What he was about to perform he knew was going to take more energy out of him than he was used to. But he’d do anything to keep his children safe…even if that meant he would hurt himself in the process.

The demon imagined what he wanted then delved deep into the wistful power that flowed through his immortal veins. He imagined he was swimming through one of the many branches in his body, waiting to reach the center where his heart held the core of it all. It felt like he was scooping out a small but plentiful portion of himself, weighing it carefully like it was actually in the palm of his hands. A glowing lively orb that reminded him of how he’d see his children when they were still nestled in his womb. They had been fuzzy little balls of light, just like the orb was, that would flit around whenever they got excited.

Crowley grinned at the memory then opened his eyes. The orb was there, cupped perfectly between his hands. He held it close, telepathically speaking the orb’s imperative task. Once he was satisfied that it would work, Crowley silently prayed for a success (The prayer was for his children, not for God)) and tossed it into the air.

He watched as the orb flew over the roof of his home and stopped at the peak of the highest one. It hovered there for a few seconds before flattening and expanding outward. It widened into an oval shape before beginning to flow downwards, covering the entire house in it’s golden hue. The edges shined and sparkled so brightly it would’ve blinded any human witnesses if they had seen it. Once the edge hit the copper road, the tiny orb had become a gigantic golden dome. A shimmer erupted from the ground and slid up to the top, creating one huge spark before making the dome seem like it has disappeared altogether. But Crowley knew it was still there; just invisible now.

Then there was a sudden sharp pang in his chest. He grunted and slightly doubled over. But the pain came as soon as it went. He straightened up again, rubbing at his chest, grimacing. It had been a long time since he had to perform something that big. Obviously, his corporation wasn’t used to that. Hopefully that was the only huge miracle he would have to perform for awhile.

Upon entering back into the house, he was met with three pairs worried eyes, two of them from the twins and one from Aziraphale. “Crowley, are you okay? You looked like you were in pain.”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” Crowley waved them off. “Just forming that shield took more energy than my body was used to. Nothing serious.”

Crowley waved at the twins, signaling for them to do their chores. They got the message and disappeared upstairs.

“Well, that’s a relief then,” Aziraphale said once they were gone. “So you’re sure this will keep me safe?”

“Yes. As long as you follow some rules as well,” Crowley sat down opposite of the angel. He rested his hands on the table. “So the shield has now made your aura completely invisible. Once the angels start looking for you they’ll have no idea that you’re taking sanctuary here with a demon, which is me, unless you perform a miracle or leave the borders of the shield. Do either of these things and they’ll be able to find you for sure.”

“I understand,” Aziraphale nodded. “But why didn’t you do this earlier?”

“Well, I didn’t think you’d plan to stay,” Crowley shrugged. “And speaking of the angels, how come they haven’t started looking for you yet? It’s been 3 weeks, I’d think they’d be sending search parties all over earth by now!”

“Allow me to explain that,” Aziraphale started, fidgeting with the ring on his pinky finger. “It seems, ever since Eden with the ‘Adam and Eve’ business, the angels stopped caring about the lives of the humans, seeing as they were now tainted by sin from those who were fallen. So instead of time being in sync with Heaven and earth, Heaven’s time moves slower than earth. It’s a rather dramatic shift. I discovered this when I was gone for almost a month doing a particularly difficult task after the Great Flood. I had thought the Archangels would surely have my head by the end of it. But when I returned Upstairs it had turned out I had only been gone for about thirty minutes.”

Crowley had listened with interest. Time was a weird thing even on earth so trying to figure out the logic of how much Heaven was out of sync just made his head hurt. It didn’t explain how quick his ex-lover fourteen years ago had been able to quickly summon guards to take him away. It had already been plenty of thousands of years since the Garden of Eden. So was time just beginning to slowly go out of sync Upstairs back then? Was that why they stopped looking for him after that one attempt to lead him to his execution? Did they think he would’ve died if they just let him go to try and survive on his own? None of this made sense and he was beginning to develop a migraine the longer he tried to figure this time puzzle out.

“So,” Crowley began. “You’re saying right now only around twenty minutes has passed up in Heaven even though it’s been three bloody weeks down here?”

“Yes, approximately,” Aziraphale confirmed.

“Right,” The demon calculated the numbers in his head, furrowing his eyebrows at the strain of it. “So if you were planning to give birth down here, like trying to reach to full term…then in Heaven you’d only be gone for two and a half hours.”

“Yes,” Aziraphale confirmed again. “But knowing how strict they are upstairs and because I used a few miracles before being attacked, they are definitely going to get suspicious probably around the time the baby will be born.”

“Right,” Crowley ran a hand through his messy hair. “That’s good, though. That means we have time. I’m glad you told me this. The only problem will definitely be they may start searching sooner than we may predict because of that powerful stunt you pulled earlier today.”

“That is true,” Aziraphale blushes. He clasped his hands together to stop the fidgeting, his knuckles already turning white from nervousness. “But as long as I follow the rules I’ll be safe, right?”

Crowley held the angel’s hands in his, brushing them gently with his thumbs. “We’ll do everything to keep you and your baby safe, okay?”

Aziraphale nodded, giving a weak smile. “Okay. Jolly good…”

Crowley smiled back, squeezing Aziraphale’s hands in his. “I know, I get you won’t be happy with being cooped up in here but I think the Twins will be able to keep you on your feet, seeing how they have taken a liking to you.”

The angel’s smile grew, the blush still there on his cheeks. It was true, as long as he had Crowley and the twins there to keep him company, being cooped up in a big house wouldn’t be bad at all.

———

_One week later_

_Five months pregnant_

In the morning, breakfast was peaceful. Aziraphale and the twins were still trying to wake up, waiting for the energy their meals usually bestowed upon them to kick in. It was quiet, the three celestial beings embracing it gladly while their drowsiness was still like fog in their minds.

Then Crowley dramatically barged in and ruined their lovely scene. He had slammed the door open with his foot, making everyone jump and almost choke on their food. The demon, somehow wide awake, didn’t care and stood before all of them with a mischievous grin (definitely from accomplishing at catching them all off guard. Some demonic habits never leave) and sparkling eyes.

“Morning, folks, today is market day!” Crowley announced proudly. He knelt down in front of the coffee table, flattening a piece of paper onto it and readying an ink pen. He looked at all of them expectantly. “Give me all your requests!”

“Mother, can we _please_ come with you this time?” Orchid asked, a shimmer of hope in her eyes that he would say ‘yes’.

Crowley’s energy from a few seconds earlier slightly vanished and was replaced with a look of weariness and annoyance. He sighed. “Now, Orchid, you already know the answer to that question. Besides, I need you and your brother to look after Aziraphale while I’m out.”

“But I—“

“Orchid, just leave it,” Vervain whispered to her, placing a hand tentatively on her arm as if trying to hold her back. Orchid looked to her brother desperately then frowned. It didn’t take her long to heave a sigh of frustration.

“Fine,” she murmured.

Aziraphale sat awkwardly watching them. To be honest, he was offended when Crowley wanted his own to children to babysit him as if he couldn’t take care himself rather well on his own, mind you. But witnessing the frustration of Orchid and her quickly giving in to defeat was strange. There was more to them staying than just looking after an expecting angel. And said angel sort of knew the other excuses as to why Crowley didn’t want them going. And there also seemed to be a repeating pattern hidden too—

“So, what do you guys want?” Crowley asked again, definitely attempting to return to why he came in and scared them all in the first place. His question had snapped Aziraphale out of his thoughts. Oh well, he’d dwell on them later.

“Oh, can you see if they have any new books?” Vervain piped up instantly. Probably to help diverge from any conflict.

Crowley grinned at him and jotted it down. “I’ll be on the lookout. Orchid, how about you?”

“Uhm…” Orchid fidgeted with her blouse. “New art supplies? I’ve ran low on paint and I definitely need new brushes.”

“Gotcha,” Crowley nodded to her and wrote it down. Then his gaze went to the angel. “Aziraphale? Want anything?”

“Oh! Um…” Aziraphale pondered that question. He couldn’t really think of anything that he may have wanted…until he looked down at his lap. “Some new clothes?”

Crowley’s smile widened, showing glinting teeth. “About time you asked! Was wondering when you were gonna get tired of that old gown of yours.”

Aziraphale blushed. His gown had seen better days. Where it used to be pure white and silky, it was worn and didn’t have that heavenly glint that it used to. The gold embroidery that decorated it was unraveling and falling apart. And the angel swore he could see tears beginning to form in certain areas. So yeah…about time he asked, especially with his growing bump.

“Well,” Aziraphale laughed, embarrassed. “Given the circumstance that I was merely a guest, I didn’t speak up on the matter.”

“That’s absolutely fine,” Crowley reassures him. He writes it down. “New clothing it is then. I’m just going to need to get your measurements first.”

Aziraphale’s face grew even hotter, his hands automatically going to his belly, like he wanted to hide it (which was partially correct).

“Th-that’s fine,” Aziraphale lied, forcing a laugh. “But I don’t see how it’ll help. I’m only going to get bigger, you know.”

“Oh, the measurements will definitely come in handy,” Crowley countered. He stood up. “You see, I can use your current measurements to also buy bigger sized gowns. Trust me, Marnie had used the same strategy with me when I was pregnant.”

Aziraphale winced a little when Crowley said he’d have to buy bigger gowns, building his hesitation up even more. But the demon looked at him genuinely, obviously just wanting to help. The angel sighed, his hands beginning to fidget again. He forced another smile. “Well, alright, then.”

“Good,” Crowley didn’t seem to notice Aziraphale’s distress and turns to the twins. “Since I’ll be out most of the day, how do you both feel about planning dinner this time around later this afternoon? Your choices!”

While Orchid still seemed disappointed from earlier, her eyes lit up happily nonetheless along with Vervain’s.

“Yes mother!” They responded. Crowley smiled back then waved them off to go do their lessons once they finished their breakfast. Then he faced Aziraphale and gestured for the angel to follow him where they’d take his measurements.

As they walked upstairs, Aziraphale felt a pit of dread grow in his stomach. The angel never had been well built or chiseled like all the other archangels were. To be frank, he stood out from…everyone, up in heaven. He was shorter and even before getting pregnant he’s had a soft, so to speak, exterior for quite some time. It didn’t bother him, at the start, but the more people pointed these traits out to him as flaws, the worse he had felt. And he knew Crowley was only trying to help but having to buy clothes of a larger size…just made him want to curl in on himself and completely vanish from sight…

“You alright?”

Aziraphale was standing right outside the door of Crowley’s bedroom. The demon was gazing at him with concern, twirling with a tape measure between his fingers. Crowley was worried because the angel’s complexion had lost it’s color and his hands were badly fidgeting with his gown around his midsection.

Aziraphale snapped out of it, trying to give Crowley a smile that said ‘everything was fine.’ “Of course I am. Now…do what you must. I wouldn’t want to keep you.”

The angel entered the room and held his arms out for Crowley to start measuring him. Crowley didn’t move, noticing that Aziraphale’s hands and arms were badly shaking. The demon sighed, dropping the tape measure onto the bed. He slowly walked up to the angel, carefully placing his hands in Aziraphale’s. With ease, he lowered the angel’s arms but didn’t let go of his still-trembling hands.

“What’s wrong?” Crowley asked softly. His amber gaze seemed to look deep into Aziraphale’s bright blue. It was strangely comforting.

“I’m—“ Aziraphale bit down on his lip when it started to quiver. This was ridiculous, a former principality, a warrior, being brought to near tears over what? His body and the petty remarks by others he probably should’ve listened to in the first place?! _Pathetic…_

Crowley gently squeezed the angel’s hands. “Listen, we don’t have to do this right now…if it was something I said then I apologize, my stupid mouth slips up at times—“

“No, it’s fine!” Aziraphale insisted, looking away as tears started prickling his eyes. “It’s…my own fault I’m like this. Short and fat, as it is…”

Crowley felt a low boiling anger in his chest. Whoever has broken this poor angel is going to regret it. The demon gently rested the tips of his fingers underneath Aziraphale’s chin, slowly lifting his face to meet those blue eyes again.

Crowley wanted to gush to Aziraphale about how the standards up in Heaven are bullshit and there’s nothing wrong with being short and pudgy. He wanted to express to him the frustration of Heaven and how much of a damaging influence they have been to him. But he only summed it in a few words. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

This time the angel genuinely smiled, a tear escaping the corner of one eye. He chuckles and wipes it away. “Oh, what am I doing? I need some new clothes!”

Crowley laughed, too. “So you’re still up to it?”

“Yes!” Aziraphale held up his arms again but more proudly than before. Sometimes all someone needs is a bit comfort. But for some reason Aziraphale cheering up that quickly made Crowley look back on that moment a bit more closely. There was definitely more to what Aziraphale had said about himself than he lets on. But, for now, the demon would just have to ignore it.

“Right, prepare yourself, then. I’m about to get into your personal space,” Crowley joked while also giving warning.

Aziraphale giggled. “You have my consent, dear.”

“Good,” Crowley smiled and straightened out the measuring tape. He knelt down and, minding where his hands went, gently wrapped it around Aziraphale’s waistline. The demon was also minding his head, making sure to not accidentally bump it against the angel’s pregnant belly. He moved the tape measure up a little.

“I must say, “Crowley murmured softly, looking up at the angel. “For five months…a rather lovely bump.”

Aziraphale blinked then snorted, his cheeks a glowing pink. “Is that a sort of compliment?”

“I’m just sayin’,” Crowley began. “Keep your arms up. For an angel who was struggling to conceive, you are having a rather healthy pregnancy so far. Well, from what I’ve seen, personally.”

“Really?”

“Yup-uh,” Crowley said, putting emphasis on the letter ‘p’. “And you know what that means?”

“What?” Aziraphale’s smile grew wider.

“Healthy pregnancy, healthy baby,” Crowley redrew the tape measure from around Aziraphale’s body and went to go write down the numbers he had seen.

“Well, that’s very good to hear. But…can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“I—um…” Aziraphale hesitated before continuing, his hands resting over the curve of his stomach. “I haven’t felt the baby move in quite awhile. I’m 20 weeks along and not so much as a flutter.”

Crowley raised his brow at that. “Really?”

He walked back over to Aziraphale and gently placed a hand over the angel’s stomach. He closed his eyes, imagining that he was inside the womb where the baby was settled. Instantly, there was the little one’s form. A beautiful glowing orb like the stars and the power Crowley held within his own body. The heartbeat echoed throughout the dark void of the womb. A beautiful quick thumping sound.

_Thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump…._

Crowley opened his eyes, the image and the sound instantly vanishing from his head. He stood up. “There is a heartbeat. And it’s very much alive. Just probably not ready to move yet.”

“Well, at least it’s alive,” Aziraphale said in an attempt to be optimistic. “I’m just worried for it. It hadn’t moved in over a month—“

Crowley touched pressed a finger to the angel’s lips, halting his words. “Don’t fret, angel. The baby will begin to move again, in time. Just be patient.”

Crowley lowered his finger, freeing Aziraphale’s lips. The angel sighed, tenderly rubbing his belly. “You’re right. So, do you have everything?”

“Yup,” Crowley affirmed. He snatched the list from the table and headed towards the door. “Best I get going—oh wait!”

He twirled back around on one foot, a new idea popped into his head. “Forgot to ask! What colors would you like? Warm, cool? More on the dull side? Or just plain white like the one you’re wearing right now?”

Aziraphale’s eyes brightened. It was true when people said that Heaven was beautiful. But at times it was too…bright, so to speak. To be frank, the only places Aziraphale saw colors up there that weren’t white or gold were either in the gardens or the beautiful dark sky filled with unlimited constellations and galaxies. So after awhile, the clean white had gotten rather dull from lack of complementary colors that weren’t gold, silver, or bronze. There were honestly so many beautiful and marvelous colors that Aziraphale absolutely adored in varying values.

But the first choice that came to mind he knew would fit him and his corporation the most. So he answered eagerly, “Oh, Definitely pastel colors! I’ve seen quite enough of white in my time.”

“Ooohh,” Crowley marveled, a flirtatious gleam in his eye. The angel didn’t know if it was intentional or not. “Like your style, angel.”

“They can be any color,” Aziraphale continued. “Even pink!”

“Got it! Right, now I’m all set,” Crowley concluded. He knew once he found the tarp filled with clothing, he’d probably leave it almost empty. “How about we go pop in on the twins, see what they’re planning for tonight?”

“Oh, absolutely.” Aziraphale walked up and weaved his left arm through Crowley’s offered one before they left the room and headed down the steps.

“Hopefully they didn’t plan dessert for dinner again,” Crowley muttered jokingly. Aziraphale didn’t pay attention to the comment. He was far too focused on their intertwined arms. The feeling was nice but it was conjuring up feelings the angel was trying to push back down.

_Come now, you old fool! It’s merely a platonic gesture and support because you’re five months pregnant!_

But it couldn’t be helped. Certain desires continued to bounce around his head until they arrived into the kitchen. Desires like being held and resting his head on the demon’s shoulder for comfort. He desired physical contact, gentle actions to let him know that he was loved. _But isn’t all this he’s provided for you already enough? How could you possibly want more?_

He did his best to retract his focus to the twins bustling about in the kitchen, laying out ingredients all over the counters, keeping a good pattern as they repeatedly stride around the table island in the middle. For two kids who could get on each other’s nerves, they did have good communication. Aziraphale guessed that probably comes with being born on the same day and being the same age.

Crowley cleared his throat, earning his children’s attention. “So, you guys got everything planned out?”

“Yup!” Orchid set down a brown bag onto a clear space of one of the counters with a small grunt. She wiped her hands and turned to face the angel and her mother. “Fried rice and cooked vegetables.”

“Wow,” Crowley mused, raising his eyebrows. He looked genuinely impressed. “An actual dinner this time around! Why not the dessert? You could’ve easily done that instead.”

“We were in the mood for something healthy this time around,” Vervain piped in while he was washing his hands.

“Who are you and what have you done with my children?” Crowley joked with his hands on his hips. The remark was returned with a chuckle from Vervain and an eye roll from Orchid (But Aziraphale could tell she was smiling, too). “Welp, I’m about to head out unless there’s any final requests?”

The twins shake their heads.

“Great,” Crowley walks up to both of them. He gives them each a kiss on the forehead and a pat on the shoulder. “Look after Aziraphale for me. Love you both.”

With that, he puts on his fancy red robe and heads out the door, leaving Aziraphale alone with the twins. Aziraphale was yet again irked by Crowley putting his children in charge of him, a grown angel. He really could take care of himself even in the current condition he’s in.

“Don’t worry,” he said to the twins, their piercing eyes instantly landing on him. “You won’t have to babysit me.”

“We know,” Orchid said bluntly. “We’ve gathered all the ingredients but we won’t start cooking yet.”

“Yeah, we’ve got chores to do so you’ll have some alone time,” Vervain added, giving Aziraphale a shy smile.

Aziraphale returned it. “Well, I won’t stop you. I’ll just be in the keeping room with a book.”

They both nod then hurry upstairs. They had gotten more open with Aziraphale and he knew how outgoing they could be. Well, mainly Orchid, Vervain was still quite reserved around him. But today after this morning’s conversation they seemed to have gone stiff. When talking to him a few seconds earlier, their words were stilted and formal, like you were talking to a servant. What was with that..?

Aziraphale shrugged. Maybe he’d ask them later when they weren’t busy. He sat down on the plush sofa, giving his back some relief. Was he really starting to feel that kind of pain already? And picked up a book he had been obsessing over for the past few days. He read, drowning all of his insecurities, questions, and thoughts.

———

Hours went by before Aziraphale heard sounds coming from the kitchen again. He looked up to see the sun had changed positions in the sky, signaling it was now in the middle of the afternoon. The angel was impressed. He always lost track of time when reading, being so enamored in the writing. A similar thing would happen back when he was in Heaven. He’d be so preoccupied with the scrolls and the thousands of records. It was a nice hobby that had kept him busy throughout the days he spent when he was stuck in that house with his husband.

Then once he got pregnant, that privilege was taken away.

“ _Wouldn’t want you to miscarriage from overworking, now do we?”_

Aziraphale pinched the bridge of his nose at the memory. Why do those memories like to taunt him so?

“Aziraphale?” Vervain’s head popped in through the doorway, those white serpent-like pupils watching him with a curious gaze.

Aziraphale looked up, closing his book. “Yes, dear?”

There was that grey tint in Vervain’s cheeks. No matter how many times he called anyone ‘dear’ in the house, it always catches them off guard. They’ve gotten used to it, of course, but they still can’t help feeling a tad bit flustered at the pet name.

“Are you hungry at all?” Vervain asks. “Want me to fix anything for you?”

“Oh, Vervain, darling, there’s no need,” Aziraphale waved him off, standing up. “You’re already making dinner, I can wait until then.”

“Well…have you eaten anything since breakfast?” Vervain inquired.

Aziraphale thought about that, recounting the day. Then he realized by the dull ache in his belly that he hadn’t. He really does lose track of time when reading, doesn’t he? He didn’t even realize he was hungry.

Vervain took the angel’s silence as a yes. He tugged at his apron. “I suggest you eat something now. We’re going to take awhile with cooking dinner and we don’t want you to go hungry for too long. Consider it an appetizer.”

“Well, in that case,” Aziraphale thought about it. What was he in the mood for? Usually he had to think about his cravings. But since he went without food for so long the first thing that came to mind instantly made his mouth water. “Some yogurt will do.”

“Great,” Vervain gestures for the angel to follow him into the kitchen. Aziraphale obliges. “Want anything with it?”

“Could you put in some strawberries?” The angel suggested.

“Of course,” Vervain smiled up at him. “Coming right up.”

They entered into the kitchen where Orchid was chopping up some vegetables. She spared a glance at both of them before sliding all the veggies into one bowl with her knife.

Vervain walked up to her left, observing her progress so far. “Got everything?”

“Mhm,” she nods, keeping her head down.

Vervain then opened one of the cupboards and grabbed a wooden bowl and went down a hidden staircase where the temperatures were freezing. He returned with the bowl filled with white yogurt.

Aziraphale watched from a little table to the side, admiring over how hardworking the twins were. They were only fourteen and their heads reached up to the angel’s chest (But if they have their mom’s genes, then they’ll definitely sprout in no time) but they were very responsible. So far their mom has taught them well. Crowley should be proud of them.

A few minutes later, Vervain set the bowl down and put a spoon right next to it. “Here you go, Aziraphale.”

Aziraphale licked his lips at the sight. The yogurt looked so appetizing, especially with the ripe red strawberries that were mixed into it. He looked up, beaming. “Thank you, dear boy.”

Vervain blushed. “You’re welcome.”

Aziraphale dipped his spoon into the middle of his yogurt instantly, scooping up a generous amount that held a nice big chunk of strawberry. Before anything could fall off, he slid the spoon into his mouth and moaned when the cool taste of the different flavors hit his tongue. He bit down on the strawberry, making it fill his mouth with it’s sweet, tart, juices. He rested a hand on his cheek, savoring the flavor. He wiggled when it hit the perfect spot in his stomach.

What he didn’t notice, too enticed by the delicious food, were the twins watching him from the corner of their eyes. They stared at each other, smirking.

Orchid raised her eyebrows and widened her smile. Which meant, in their secret language: _Looks like he loves your cooking skills._

Vervain raised an eyebrow in response, meaning: _It’s only yogurt._

———

Aziraphale was halfway through his dish when Vervain told Orchid she could take a break. He could handle the rest of it from here. She didn’t protest and went to go sit down to soothe her sore feet. She had barely sat down throughout the day, having to go on a cleaning and cooking spree to calm her nerves.

Aziraphale looked up to see her sitting down across from him. She didn’t look at him as she crossed her arms and gave a tired sigh.

“Orchid,” Aziraphale tried talking through a bite. “Everything okay?”

Orchid finally met his eyes and….my did she look like her mother. Her facial expression, the way she sat, her crossed arms, and even her slightly miffed attitude all screamed Crowley. It was rather adorable. But the angel didn’t mention it.

“I can tell you’re upset about something,” the angel continued.

“It’s stupid,” Orchid muttered. While she wasn’t as frustrated as she was earlier in the morning, she was still upset.

“I wouldn’t say it’s stupid if it’s caused you to be this quiet,” Aziraphale said, keeping the girl trapped in his gaze so she couldn’t change the subject. “What is it?”

Orchid adjusted her sitting position, looking uneasy. “Well—“

“She wants to go to the market,” Vervain interrupted from across the room.

“Vervain!” Orchid glared at him. “I was going to tell him!”

“Well, you were taking your real sweet time with that,” Vervain grumbled sarcastically.

Orchid obnoxiously stuck her tongue out at him. He did it back before returning to his tasks with dinner. Aziraphale waited patiently, watching with amusement over their bickering. There was the childish side. But it also explained why their attitudes had suddenly shifted earlier in the day. They were probably trying to hide it.

“Why doesn’t he let you go then?” Aziraphale asks.

“Well, look at us!” Orchid exclaims, her arms wide open as if trying to fill up space. “Me and Vervain would stick out like sore thumbs if we stepped out into the open! And I’ve asked many times about it because I know mother can teach us how to disguise ourselves! But he never does anything.”

“Disguise yourselves how, exactly?” Aziraphale didn’t think that celestial could change their physiques or really had to. Their powers usually kept them safe so there was no need for it. But, in Crowley’s case, it was very understandable.

“By changing our skin and entire form to look human,” Vervain spoke up again. “It is possible because we’ve seen mom change form a few times before.”

Orchid added, “And we most likely can do it, too! If only he’d teach us then we’d finally get out of the house for once!”

“Here she goes again,” Vervain mutters, rolling his eyes.

“Oh, shut up!” Orchid snapped then pointed at him. “You feel the same way!”

“Orchid, calm down,” Aziraphale said sternly. “We can talk about this without raising our voices.”

Orchid lowered her head and returned to her normal seating position. She clenched at her forearms in a tight grip. “Sorry…”

Aziraphale sighed. He understood her turmoil. The poor girl was restless from being stuck in the house for so long. The angel knew how she felt. Knowing there was more out there, more adventure, so many things to explore! Then you’re forced to stay in the barriers because of the danger and risks that come with those discoveries.

Yes…he sympathized with Orchid’s frustrations all too well.

He took one of her hands in his, resting it in the middle of the table. He laid his other hand on top of Orchid’s and softly patted it. “It’s okay.”

Orchid smiled sadly at him, her temper cooled down. It seems to the angel as if she has trouble controlling it. She does get rather testy a bit easily at times but is able to hold herself back as well. And there would be a look of guilt and regret in her eyes…although Aziraphale didn’t know how to explain that part.

“Now,” He continued, adjusting his sitting position for the low ache forming in his back. He released one of his hands to continue eating so the food wouldn’t go to waste. “Tell me. Do you really feel cooped up here?”

“Yes,” Orchid admitted with a huff. “Mom actually used to take us to the beach or the hills at night to look upon the stars. He’d always point at them and tell us about the constellations and how they connected. It was great because he would also be telling us about all the stars he created when he was still an angel and point his own stars out to us too. Those were our favorite nights…”

Aziraphale smiled sadly, remembering when Crowley said his memory of being an angel was slowly fading away the more time slipped by. Hopefully his beautiful children will remember them for him. Orchid and Vervain in the time he talked to them loved their mother’s stories. They talked so fondly of them. It broke the angel’s heart that they knew nothing of what was happening behind the creation of all those stars and galaxies.

Then Orchid let go of his hand, her eyes filling with bitterness. “Then, when we reached ten years old, he just stopped taking us….Now we barely ever leave the house except to tend to Mom’s garden. We never knew why.”

Aziraphale’s heart broke for the twins. He knew Crowley loved them dearly and would do anything to protect them.Although, It looks like those strict protections are starting taking a toll. Because now the angel could further sense the tensions between Crowley and his children; mainly Orchid.

“I see.”He took another bite with a piece of strawberry, swallowing quickly. “Maybe I can talk to him about it. I can see if I can—“

_Tap_

“Oh!” Aziraphale dropped his spoon, his hand quickly going to his stomach. “Oh my goodness!”

“Aziraphale?” Orchid stared at him worriedly. She leaned in. “Are you okay?”

The concern in Orchid’s voice caught Vervain’s attention. He looked over. “What is it?”

“Aziraphale, what’s wrong?” Orchid stood up, taking a few steps closer in case something happened. She glanced at Vervain who had also walked in their direction, too. They watched the angel warily.

Aziraphale was silent, his hand pressing into his stomach. Did he imagine it? No, it was too strong to be fake.

He gasped again, making the twins jump. They didn’t know if that was good or bad. A smile came over Aziraphale’s face, an excited laugh escaping his lips.

“Orchid, Vervain! Come here quickly!” Aziraphale waved them over eagerly. Both oblige and come over to his side. Vervain stands by his left and Orchid kneels down by his right. Then he took both their hands in his. “Rest your hands here.”

He directed their hands to his belly, in a specific spot. The twins’ hands were on top each other. They didn’t expect for this scene to derail from what they thought was going to happen.

“Wait for it,” Aziraphale whispered, keeping their hands pressed against his belly.

_Tap Tap_

Orchid and Vervain gasped collectively. They felt what was definitely the baby’s foot come up and kick their palms. Rather strong kicks, too. Strong enough to feel but not too strong to hurt Aziraphale.

“Do you feel that?” Aziraphale’s asked excitedly.

Smiles slowly creep up the twins’ faces. Orchid nods, her eyes sparkling with awe. Vervain was quiet but he was smiling, too. He was so enraptured by the movements he couldn’t find the words to respond.

Out of curiosity, Orchid drums her fingers on the spot and is earned an even stronger kick. She laughed, not noticing when Aziraphale winced at it.

“I’ve never felt a baby kick before,” Orchid said, her voice filled with wonder and joy. “Can it hear us?”

“It probably does,” Vervain assumed. It was true they had never felt a baby kick before. It was an entirely new experience for the both of them. They loved it…

Vervain’s attention was distracted by the sounds of sniffles. He looked to see Aziraphale had tears rolling down his cheeks. “Aziraphale?”

Orchid looked up and the concern for him immediately returned. “What’s wrong?”

“Sorry,” Aziraphale sniffled again and wiped a tear away. “I’m just so happy…”

The angel knew when the baby would start to move, he’d want it to be special. He remembered how he dreaded the day in Heaven, knowing it’d be ruined by his husband’s unsettling touches and words. Because all his husband for would be how strong the baby already was from inside the womb. The happiness and joy would’ve been drowned out with anxiety and fear.

But instead he’s surrounded by two beautiful children who care for him and love him. And by the looks of their smiles, they already absolutely love the baby. That…is the kind of emotions he wanted for this moment. And by someone was he so overwhelmingly happy.

Aziraphale’s thoughts are caught off guard when he feels Vervain’s arms hug him in a warm embrace. “Well, we’re happy for you, too.”

Orchid smiles and hugs him, too. “Yeah. For you and your baby.”

Aziraphale chokes up, more tears escaping. He hugs them both back. “Thank you so much, darlings! You have no idea how much this means to me…”

———

The journey to the market usually takes two hours on foot to get to for Crowley. But it’s a nice walk, especially when returning home. Currently he was a few minutes away from home and his journey through the market was a perfect success. All the gowns for Aziraphale were swooped over one shoulder while some food, books, and art supplies were all piled into one bag he was carrying with one hand.

By the time he got home, his hand and shoulder were cramping but he overall felt good. When he entered the kitchen where Aziraphale and the twins were, he didn’t expect to be hit with so much love from all their auras at once. They were all giddy and smiling, not noticing Crowley standing by the doorway they were so caught up in their own joy.

Crowley grinned and chuckled when they finally noticed him. “Don’t mind me, just checking in. I’ll go put all of your stuff in each of your rooms.”

He walked upstairs, smirking at the sound of Orchid’s voice filled with so much chaotic energy. She went insane whenever in that state, the demon couldn’t help but laugh at it sometimes because of how passionate she sounded. At least she was happy and not upset anymore over this morning.

Crowley knew the twins weren’t getting any younger but…he just couldn’t bring himself to let them go. Especially with this angel who was basically on the run from Heaven. He needed to keep Orchid and Vervain safe. Better they be cooped up than killed.

During dinner, he only had to speak a few times. Aziraphale didn’t take long to start talking which, like a chain reaction, caused Orchid to enter with her own topics. There was still some of that energy sizzling around inside her, of course making Crowley laugh and hanging onto every word she was saying. And, by someone what happened while he was gone, Vervain spoke up!

Okay. He needed to find out what was so exciting that even Vervain himself has become extremely talkative.

Crowley waited until after dinner to bring it up. He was alone with Aziraphale in the kitchen, both working together with cleaning the dishes.

“So,” Crowley started, getting the angel’s attention. “Did something happen while I was gone?”

“What do you mean?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Crowley looked up at him, smiling. “All of you have been extremely giddy. Orchid’s excitement I’m used to but never has Vervain been that talkative at the dinner table since he was a toddler!”

Aziraphale blushed and stopped what he was doing. “Well…”

He turned to face Crowley, barely able to contain the smile that wanted to appear on his face. His hands began to lovingly rub his belly. “While you were gone…the little one became quite active.”

Crowley’s eyes widened, his eyebrows shooting up his forehead. “It started kicking?!”

Aziraphale nodded, his smile breaking free and showing shiny white teeth.

“Hah! That’s amazing! Told you it’d happen sooner or later,” Crowley said smugly. “But now that means restless nights ahead for you.”

Aziraphale chuckled, clasping his hands around his protruding stomach. “Oh, yes, can’t wait for that. But I’m still so overjoyed to finally feel it moving. Now I know it can hear me.”

Crowley smiled warmly. The angel did look happy and was both figuratively and literally glowing. Those blue eyes were filled to the brim with love for the unborn child. It reminded the demon of the love he had felt when feeling the twins’ feet tap his palms late at night, feeling the bond between him and his children begin to truly grow.

Then Aziraphale gasped softly, his hand going to his belly. “They’re kicking again!”

“Really?!” Crowley stood up straight. “Can I feel it?”

“Of course you can, dear,” Aziraphale got hold of the demon’s hand and directed it to a spot on his belly where the baby’s foot was kicking at him incessantly. “My goodness, they’re active already. Must have been from the food.”

Crowley gasped once he felt the first kick, his smile widening and excited bits of laughter slipped from his lips. “I haven’t felt this in so long!”

He placed his other hand on the same spot. His heart melted. What a beautiful strong baby. No matter what gender they are, that bastard of a husband for Aziraphale could never deny the potential of this small life.

Aziraphale sighed. “I love them so much. I wish they were here now…”

Crowley looked into those glowing blue eyes and the response he had before died on his lips, a bit surprised at how close he was to the angel. Wait…when did Aziraphale’s hand get on his forearm?

One of Crowley’s hands, of it’s own volition, went to the angel’s shoulder. _Why did he do that?!_ His other hand stayed on the angel’s belly where the baby continued to kick. He feels frozen in place by that blue gaze and the soft touches of those plump hands that were now on both of his arms. _Was this some sort of trap?_ His heart pounded the longer the silence between them lasted.

“Ngk…I—um…”

“Yes?” Aziraphale barely whispered.

Crowley realized how hot his face felt. _Was he blushing?! Couldn’t be!_

These things…yes, he’s felt them before…

_Crowley was on top of him, giving it everything he had, moaning and crying out to the entire universe as they got closer to the climax…._

_He couldn’t stop throwing up, everything came back up! Two little lives in his abdomen…he was pregnant!_

_“Let me GO! YOU CAN’T, THEY’RE YOUR CHILDREN!!”_

_“Those abominations mean nothing to me, you whore!”_

_“_ Crowley? Are you okay, what’s wrong?”

Aziraphale is talking to him…

He is back in the kitchen….

His children are safe upstairs….

That monster isn’t here…

Everything is fine.

“Crowley?”

Crowley gasped, tears rolling down his face. He wiped at them. “I…I-I need to finish the dishes…”

“What? No, tell me, what’s wrong?” Aziraphale’s grip tightened on the demon’s arms. Crowley had gone completely pale and his breathing was erratic. It was like he wasn’t there.

“It’s s’nothing,” Crowley let go of the angel, his arms falling to his side. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. You should head to bed…”

Aziraphale sighed, knowing he was never going to get an answer. It was best to just leave it, for now. “Fine. But before I do.”

Crowley sighed, but his annoyance was instantly cleared when he felt warm arms wrap around his stomach. He tensed up, finding himself shaking from the physical contact. It lasted a few seconds before Aziraphale finally released him.

“Good night,” the angel murmured before walking away, leaving him alone.

Crowley relaxed. He stood still as more tears flowed down his face. He took a breath which turned into a shaking sob. “D-Damnit…”

_Why can’t he just go away? Why won’t he leave my head?_

Crowley curled in on himself, his hands resting where Aziraphale had touched him. Those nice warm touches from those little pudgy hands compared to the big strong ones with those hard grips from all those nights of lovemaking.

_Aziraphale’s different….he won’t hurt you_

_Aziraphale’s NOTHING like Him_

Crowley sniffled. “Then why did I see his ffffffucking face?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, the little baby’s finally kicking! Poor Crowley, it seems the memories will never leave him.
> 
> Thank y’all for being so patient and supportive for this series. I’m so glad you adore the twins. Please leave kudos and comments, they keep my confidence up to continue writing this story. Hope you enjoyed this one!

**Author's Note:**

> Know that I’ll worship these two and I frankly love Crowley with any hairstyle.


End file.
